2026-02-18

I want to share with the Taoiseach some experiences of women in my constituency of Meath West. One granny said to me: My daughter welcomed a baby boy, my first grandchild, into the family in 2023. It was an occasion of great joy for us. When it came time for my daughter to return to work after her maternity leave, that joy turned to stress as she tried to finalise childcare. The end result is that myself and the other granny have been minding our grandchild for well over a year now. This is a last resort as I have a debilitating illness and the other granny has only recently retired after decades of service. We have raised our own families and we did not plan on spending these years minding another’s children. One mother-to-be said: I want to stay at home with my baby until she is one but I cannot afford to because I cannot find affordable childcare that will make it worth my while to go back to work. It is soul-destroying while still being pregnant to focus so much on finding someone else to mind my child. It is a black cloud that is overshadowing what should be the most exciting time of our lives. These are just two of the constituents who have contacted me regarding the need for accessible and affordable childcare, showing the real impact it is having on their lives. They are just two examples of why we committed to affordable, accessible and quality childcare in our manifesto prior to the general election. The clear commitment that Fianna Fáil in government would deliver on this was a major factor in our election success. Families heard it and it resonated with them, and they put us into government to get it done. In our programme for Government, we made an even clearer commitment to progressively reduce childcare costs to €200 per month over the lifetime of this Government. I am single-minded in my determination to get this commitment achieved during this term but I do not believe we should be waiting until year 5 to achieve it. We have already passed one of five budgets and childcare costs were not one of its major focuses. This must change next year and the year after. From the most populated towns in Meath West, Trim and Navan, to Athboy, Enfield and Oldcastle, childcare availability is an issue. We know that low supply and high demand equal high cost. That is what I am seeing across Meath West. I acknowledge some of the positive steps already taken. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has improved core funding, reduced fee caps and commenced the State-led provision of childcare schemes. Those are all progressive steps in this sector. The Minister and the Government have made great efforts in a relatively short space of time, but we need more. We need a timeline for when the vast majority of our mothers and families will be paying €200 per month in childcare costs. The question I am constantly being asked, and which I am now asking the Taoiseach, is how and when we will achieve €200 per month childcare costs for families.

I thank the Deputy for raising an issue that is very close to her heart and for which she is advocating strongly. The €200 childcare cost is a programme for Government commitment. We will progressively implement that. The next budget will be important in that regard, in addition to what has been achieved already. We accept that childcare remains a very significant cost for many families and affects participation in the workplace, the proper care of their children and identifying the developmental needs of their children. Through the national childcare scheme, about 270,000 children will be supported next year, which is about 27,000 more than this year. After subsidies are applied, parents in some instances will pay no more than €198.70 per week for a full-day place of 40 hours to 50 hours. Some pay significantly less, depending on their income. We have introduced fee caps to services participating in core funding of €295 per week for a standard full-day place and €354 for services operating longer hours. From September, we will increase the income thresholds under the scheme and core funding has seen a 62% increase since it was introduced in 2022. Participation is now strong, with 93% of services involved. Over 4,590 providers have signed up. That is the highest level to date. That allows us to maintain fees at 2021 levels. We also need to support providers with new sectoral pay agreements. We must consider places, human resources and staff, and getting the fees down even further. There is additional capital funding this year to create 2,300 additional childcare places. The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme benefits over 105,000 children. The Equal Start programme is also expanding, with more priority services and the Bia Blasta nutrition programme. That said, we know there is more to be done, particularly on the reduction in the cost of childcare. We also need to increase places so there is easier availability for parents in terms of childcare places closer to where they live and work. Given the exponential growth in employment participation in this country over the last decade, as the services have expanded, the demand and challenges have expanded, too. I am fully cognisant of the issue the Deputy has raised, as I know the Minister is.

I thank the Taoiseach for his considered response. It is welcome. I reiterate that we need to expedite delivery on that commitment. We need to alleviate the pressures on our families as a real matter of urgency. The Taoiseach mentioned the workforce. Women tell me they are forced to family-plan on the basis of our high childcare costs and low availability. That is not good for them or for society as a whole. We want to keep women in our workplaces and we need to make that workforce as accessible for them as possible. We need to ensure that childcare is not a barrier to them returning to the workforce after maternity leave. The Taoiseach also mentioned the increase in the national childcare subsidy. In Meath West, it increased by 15% last year. I again call for more subsidies and lower fee caps. We must recognise and reward the hard work of the mostly female staff who work in childcare and ensure they know how important they are to our society.

Investment has grown significantly. It is up 12% again this year compared with last year. The sector will receive about €1.5 billion this year, but demand will grow. We also have to keep an eye on the quality of childcare that is provided as much as on capacity. That is why investment in the workforce is important. A total of €45 million has been provided this year in ring-fenced funding for another wage order on top of the €45 million that was provided for last year. We are making incremental progress on pay for childcare workers. An online consultation on the early years action plan is under way, alongside local and national consultation events, ensuring that reform is shaped with providers, educators and parents. That is important. At the heart of that reform is a clear focus on affordability, accessibility and the achievement of high-quality early learning and care to deliver on our commitment to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per child per month over the lifetime of this Government.