Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the measures in place to track the average cost of childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25099/07]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the measures in place to track the average cost of childcare here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25124/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 183 together.

There is a variety of childcare services in Ireland including centre-based and home-based care. The fees in the latter sector are harder to gauge. However, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Quarterly National Household Survey measures the average weekly prices in the Childcare sector as a whole and provides a useful source of data.

The most recent figures published by the CSO in 2005 show the average hourly cost of childcare when provided by a paid relative to be €3.05, when provided by a paid carer to be €4.06 and when provided in a Crèche/montessori school to be €4.82. The Survey indicated that the overall average hourly rate of childcare for pre-school children in 2005 was €4.15 per hour which would amount to €166 for a forty hour week.