A welcome ‘drop in the ocean’ for childcare
Geraldine says she’s glad to see the cost of childcare being recognised, at last, by the Government, but adds that €1,000 per year is a “drop in the ocean” compared to the loss of earnings outside the home.
Geraldine’s children, Alex, Conor and Hazel are aged five, two and six months, so she will be able to avail of the new early childcare supplement, which amounts to €1,000 per year for each of her children before they reach the age of six.
The first of these payments, which will be paid every quarter, won’t be due until the middle of next year, entitling her, in 2006, to €750 per child.
Geraldine, who lives in Glanmire, Co Cork, will also get an additional €24.50 per month in the children’s allowance, which totals €485 per month for her family.
“I’m glad to see that childcare is finally being recognised and that stay-at-home parents are being given a payment, as staying at home costs money. I do feel, however, that €1,000 is a pittance when you look at it on a weekly basis. I will be very interested to see what other changes will be made over the next five years of this new childcare programme. I can imagine that working parents aren’t happy with the lack of tax relief again,” she said.
Geraldine and her husband, Alan, an engineer, believe paid maternity leave should be extended to a year so that more mothers would have the option of spending that valuable time with their child. At present, women are entitled to 18 weeks, approximately four-and-a-half months, of paid maternity leave.
Mr Cowen announced yesterday that this will be extended to 22 weeks, from next March, and to 26 weeks in 2007.
Geraldine thinks the minister must also make leave available to fathers and says men are ignored in the childcare debate.
Such a move, she said, would mean parents could split leave between them and would allow women to breastfeed longer.
She believes working and breastfeeding, practically, is very difficult.
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