PD childcare plan could save parents €3,000

PARENTS of schoolgoing children could save almost €3,000 a year under childcare proposals by the Progressive Democrats.

The cost of childcare for these children could be dramatically reduced if schools were used for the purpose, members will hear when the proposals are unveiled at the party's annual conference in Cork next weekend. About 17,100 families nationwide pay for early-morning or after-school care for primary school children, Central Statistics Office figures show.

Families in Dublin pay an average €91.33 a week for such care, with families outside the capital paying an average of €75.94.