The Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, has said his party will pledge to give every child a year of free pre-school education in its manifesto for the next general election.
A new policy document published by Labour last night also proposes a 20 per cent minimum tax rate for people on high incomes to ensure nobody can use tax shelters to avoid paying tax.
It suggests a trust fund be set up for every child to encourage savings, and it proposes recognising civil unions, reducing the maximum class size to 25 and setting up an Irish equivalent of the Open University.
Mr Rabbitte was speaking last night in Navan, Co Meath, at the first of a series of public meetings by his party to set out its position on a range of policy issues and encourage debate.
He said the year of free childcare would be available to all parents, not just to working parents. "In some cases, particularly in areas of economic and social disadvantage, we will seek to do more", he said.
Building a national system of pre-school education would be a central plank of the party's platform in the next election.
"We want to provide every child with one year's free pre-school education, for at least five half-days per week", he said.
The party's document proposes a referendum to replace the reference in the Constitution to the special position of women working in the home with "an inclusive recognition of all those who work and care for others in the home".
Education must become the jewel in the crown of Ireland's public services, Mr Rabbitte said. We regularly celebrated the quality of Ireland's education system, but should not ignore its significant failings.
He said too many couples were paying more for childcare than for their mortgage. Labour would address that problem by giving parents the maximum possible choice in how they balanced work and home commitments.