The Green Party has called on the Government to provide greater assistance to parents on lower incomes to meet the increasing cost of childcare as a means of getting more women back into the workforce and tackling poverty and disadvantage.
Cllr Bronwen Maher from Clontarf said Ireland was missing out on the skills and expertise of very experienced women because of the cost of childcare which accounts on average for 20 per cent of Irish parents' pay compared to an EU average of 12 per cent.
"As a society we need to debate the issue - is childcare a societal concern or is it solely the responsibility of the individual? I believe the cost of pre-school childcare must be shared by the wider society either through tax relief or through direct grants for childcare places," she said.
Cllr Maher said that primary, secondary and third-level education are already paid for through exchequer funding and there was no reason why the state could not similarly support childcare which is essential when tackling disadvantage.
"Access to education, quality pre-school childcare and after-school projects are key services that are essential to breaking the poverty cycle," said Cllr Maher adding that there were several measures the Government could take in tackling the issue.
Maternity leave should be increased to six months paid and six months unpaid, while parental leave should also be extended and care work should be recognised as a job so women could build up their social insurance and qualify for a full contributory pension.
The Government should also increase revenue for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme as well as fully reinstate the creche supplement and vocational training opportunities scheme supports which were cut by the Government in 2003.
The Government should also review planning legislation to require developers to construct childcare facilities in housing developments and transfer these to the ownership of the local authority upon completion, said Cllr Maher.
And she strongly criticised a recent proposal from Progressive Democrat Senator John Minihan that children could remain on in school after classes as a means of reducing the burden of childcare.
Meanwhile, party spokesman on environment, heritage and local government Ciarán Cuffe, strongly criticised the treatment of asylum-seekers and those with disabilities, and the Government's failure to give more powers to local authorities.