The Green Party has demanded that the State's childcare policies be devised in a way that puts children first, saying that business groups tend to focus mainly on the need to get as many women as possible into the workforce.
The party is proposing a generous parenting tax credit for all parents, increases in child benefit, better tax-free allowances for childminders and extended parental leave.
Publishing the party's childcare policy yesterday, its spokeswoman on the issue, Cllr Bronwen Maher, said there was pressure on parents to comply with a "one-size-fits-all" model of childcare.
"The Greens believe that parents and guardians are the best placed to judge the kind of childcare that is most appropriate, and so will provide resources directly to parents to help them make the best choice for their children."
The party is proposing a "parenting tax credit" of €150 per month per child from birth, falling to €100 a month from when a child enters pre-school to age 12. The party's finance spokesman, Dan Boyle TD, said yesterday that this credit would be claimed by some 85 per cent of taxpayers, costing €400 million per annum. Those with high incomes who utilise other tax reliefs to the extent that their tax bill is less than the value of the credit, will not receive the full benefit of the tax credit. For those who are not in paid employment or do not pay tax, the credit would be given as a direct cash payment to parents.
The party would also increase child benefit to €155.92 (currently €141.60) for the first and second child and €192.85 (currently €177.30) for the third and subsequent children.
They propose increasing maternity benefit from 18 weeks to 26 weeks. They would introduce a right to six months' paid parental leave to be taken in the child's first year by either parent. Paid paternity leave would be extended to two weeks, there would be free universal preschool education of 3.5 hours a day, five days a week for all children in the year before they go to school. The party would introduce a new five-year capital, staffing and quality control grant programme to support community-based childcare providers and childminders. They would introduce a tax-free allowance of €5,000 per child per childminder for up to three children.
Finally, the Green Party would give the responsibility for the childcare sector to the Department of Social and Family Affairs, rather than to the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform where it rests at present.