Taoiseach Simon Harris has indicated plans to overhaul the Irish childcare sector, a major component of his party’s upcoming general election platform. He vowed that information on how costs would be reduced and availability increased would be forthcoming.
Harris stated on Friday that, should he return to office after the imminent election, top of his agenda would be to decrease childcare costs. He also pledged to provide information on when and how this reduction would happen within his initial 100 days in office.
While attending a Macra na Feirme event in Naas, Co Kildare on Saturday, he reiterated his commitment to reformat the sector, promising that if his party won the election, no parents would pay more than €200 per child per month for childcare.
While there has been progress in making childcare more affordable, he admitted that for many, the costs are still exceedingly high. The scarcity of adequate childcare places, particularly for infants and after school care for primary school children, remains an issue despite a 30 – 50% decrease in costs in recent years.
Harris assured that Fine Gael would soon outline what the next steps in this journey would be. His party’s forthcoming election manifesto would also list other system reform proposals beyond the €200 per child limit.
Harris recognised the shortfalls in provision in some areas, where parents find reducing fees has little impact if they can’t locate a childcare place. He stressed that the two years of free preschool currently available under the ECCE scheme have brought about substantial transformation but noted that not all children have access to this.
He suggested constructing new childcare facilities alongside new primary schools, emphasising that while fee reduction is crucial for parents amid a cost of living crisis, it’s only part of the problem and greater reforms are needed.