Women's and childcare organisations have criticised the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, for passing the Partnership 2000 Ex- pert Working Group on Childcare report, published on Wednesday, to an interdepartmental committee.
Ms Noreen Byrne, chairwoman of the National Women's Council of Ireland, one of the organisations making up the expert group, said the Minister's decision was "completely unacceptable". She asked when the Government would "take heed of this report". In a joint statement, the Irish Pre-School Playgroups Association (IPPA), the National Children's Nurseries Association, the Irish Montessori Education Board and the National Childminding Association of Ireland expressed their "outrage that the Minister with responsibility for equality has got it so wrong."
"We are appalled that our consensus recommendations, especially those which will support parents and providers of child care, have been ignored," said Ms Hilary Kenny, director of IPPA.
Among its many recommendations, the report proposes tax relief of up to £80 a week towards childcare costs, and childcare subsidies for low earners to whom tax relief would be of little benefit.