The need for Taoiseach Enda Kenny to attend the Dáil on two separate occasions and reassure parents they would not be required to give up work under the Government’s personal insolvency scheme amounted to a political shambles. Confusion over what was intended by measures dealing with unaffordable mortgage debt and childcare costs caused particular disquiet to working mothers and the Government should revisit and amend those draft guidelines as soon as possible.
Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar added heat to the controversy. Where other Ministers had offered careful reassurances and ignored draft guidelines, he acknowledged the document and suggested that childminding costs would have to be considered in insolvency arrangements. Nobody, however, would be asked to give up a job. This obvious contradiction reignited the issue and forced Mr Kenny back into the Dáil. It caused the National Women's Council to brand Mr Varadkar's remarks as "disgraceful" while party officials regarded his comments as "unhelpful" as voters went to the polls in Meath.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter will publish formal guidelines within weeks. An early draft prepared for the Insolvency Service of Ireland suggests, however, that the use of a childminder, crèche or pre-school may not be approved if a working parent is not earning in excess of the relevant cost. This provision would impact on working mothers in part-time or low-paid jobs and on those who wish to maintain long-term career prospects while their children are young. Even if changes are introduced to protect working mothers - or fathers - from being forced to stay at home, the cost of childcare is likely to remain an important element in personal insolvency cases. The draft guidelines require parents to justify childcare costs where they appear excessive and they may be required to move their children to less costly facilities.
The cost of childcare in Ireland, at up to €1,000 per month, is the highest in Europe and the last government did little about providing an affordable, comprehensive service. The notion that such costs can exceed a working wage would be regarded as risible elsewhere. So, for Micheál Martin to wring his hands over the plight of indebted parents required some political neck. That said, the legitimate interests of parents and their children should be protected from irresponsible lenders through a careful balancing of rights. Vulnerable citizens, be they elderly or juvenile, have been consistently failed by the State. That catalogue of failures should not be added to on this occasion. What is at stake is not just a parent’s right to work and to a basic standard of living, but the creative potential of children that can be unlocked through good quality childcare. The draft guidelines require serious revision.
