Sir, – The proposals to expand provision of childcare in a major way, now at the centre of political debate, are very much to be welcomed. The fact that all parties are proposing to expand public childcare indicates a clear consensus that this is now a key policy priority. That this should be publicly provided childcare represents a major step forward since until now childcare needs have been met by a combination of public and private sources.
While the Government has provided subsidies for part-time childcare in both private and public facilities, such a policy has left full-time working parents with substantial childcare bills, especially when two or more children are involved. The creation of a State-supported and run childcare programme would provide children high-quality educational childcare with consistent standards throughout the country. The proposed co-location of such facilities near primary schools will in particular help parents with children of varying ages. It will also facilitate wraparound care for after school.
While Covid demonstrated that flexible working can work, we now need to add to this development by providing the childcare that parents also need. The First Government Working Party on Childcare Facilities for Working Parents which issued its report in 1983 recommended that there should be a national programme of community-based childcare facilities for working parents. Public support for Government supported childcare has been evident for the last 40 years.
Research has shown that the lack of affordable, accessible childcare is a major impediment to couples having children.
Ireland had the highest total fertility rate in Europe in the 1960s and early 1970s at just under four children per woman, but it started falling in the 1970s with married women’s increased labour force participation. It now stands at 1.5, below the replacement level of 2.1. While Ireland and France used to both have the highest fertility rates in Europe, France’s has remained relatively high, owing to its pro-family policies, including State-provided childcare. – Yours, etc,
Dr MARGRET FINE-DAVIS,
(Former Senior Research Fellow,
Department of Sociology,
Trinity College Dublin),
Dublin 4.