‘100,000 new childcare places needed by 2016’

UP to 100,000 additional childcare places should be put in place by 2016, employers body IBEC and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) said yesterday.

The two organisations joined together to call for a strategic vision and integrated approach from Government to create a childcare system suitable for Ireland’s growing economy.

The organisations launched a joint 10-year strategy with recommendations for action to deal with supply of places, quality of childcare, affordability, institutional responsibility and planning requirements.