Drogheda mother paying €1,600 a month for childcare on top of €900 for her mortgage
Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster has pressed representatives from the Department of Children, Equality Disability, Integration and Youth on the availability and cost of childcare in Louth.
Speaking at a meeting of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee yesterday Deputy Munster said: “Childcare has been described by many parents as a second mortgage and the response of government to date has been wholly insufficient.
Deputy Munster highlighted to the Committee the case a mother with three children under 4 years old whose mortgage costs her €900 per month while her childcare amounted to €1,600.
“Having stretched unpaid leave and parental leave to their limits, she expects she will have to leave her job in the coming months” the TD said.
“In response to the question as to what the department had done to lower childcare costs for parents, the answer seemed to effectively be naught, with officials pointing to a strategy to freeze what are already clearly unaffordable costs for parents.
“The situation is particularly stark for those seeking childcare for children under 3, where the number of available places has actually decreased since 2019.
“For children under 12-months, for every vacant place there are 8 on a waiting list. For children aged 1 to 2 years, it is it 6 to 1; and in the case of those 2 to 3 years it’s more than 2 to 1.
“This represents an absolutely staggering lack of capacity only compounded by the price should a parent secure a space.
“While some progress has been made with regard to the pay of our highly qualified early years educators, it is clear that significant aspects of the sector remain entirely dysfunctional, and that if we are to reduce the 21% staff turnover seen in 2020/21 then major investment is needed in order to address these deficiencies.
“The government should begin with a comprehensive and coherent strategy to reduce the costs paid by parents now.”
