Consumer Corner: Should grandparents be paid for minding their grandkids?

Childcare can be expensive — an Early Years Sector report says it can cost just over €700 a month for each child

Research from Trinity College found that just over 29% of grandparents in Ireland over the age of 70 provide childcare for their grandchildren and on average provide around 16 hours per month of childcare

There's no doubt about it that childcare can be expensive. It can also be stressful, trying to find the right childminder or the perfect crèche. You are trusting someone to look after the most precious person in your life. Such dilemmas make it hard to be a working parent today, especially with very young children. There could be days when your child is sick and you have to work or days when your childminder is sick and you still have to work.

According to an Early Years Sector report, childcare can cost parents an average of €175.24 per week in Ireland or just over €700 a month for each child. Being faced with such costs has forced many parents to turn to their parents to help with childcare and at school gates across the country you'll see grandparents who have taken on childcare roles. However, are there rules when it comes to paying for this so-called granny-nanny? Should grandparents be paid for providing childcare or are they obliged to do it for love?