Childcare to be the ‘break-out’ election issue
Concern over the lack of affordable creches and the cost of minders has pushed the matter into the top three worries for voters.
It is cited as being among the top three important national issues by more than one-in-five adults (21%).
The matter also provokes a stark gender divide with 27% of women placing it as a key priority as opposed to 16% of men.
But in a race as tight as the next General Election is already shaping-up to be, this could be the block of voters that decides who gets the keys to Government Buildings.
The coalition and rainbow alternative have already clearly signalled their intention to zero-in on the matter in the election run-up.
Childcare looks set to be the major “dog whistle” issue of the campaign.
The term was coined in Australia and applies to a political party relentlessly sending out election messages that will go over the heads of most, but be heard by a key social group that could swing a tight poll.
The tactic was credited with ensuring a fourth term for Australia’s right-wing PM John Howard when he played up immigration fears there and George W Bush’s team also ruthlessly used the method to get their supporters out to vote against same-sex marriages in last year’s knife-edge US presidential showdown.
Childcare is also viewed as a major priority by one in four voters in the electorally crucial 25-34 age group and ABC1 social classes.
Lack of support for working families with children proved to be a major factor in Fianna Fáil’s two recent by-election defeats in Meath and Kildare.
The party was forced on to the back foot by the level of voter anger on the matter and made it a key focus of the Fianna Fáil “think-in” earlier this month in Cavan.
The Fine Gael/Labour Rainbow Alliance has made known its intention to bring forward a package of proposals on creches and affordable child minding.
Meanwhile, a more surprising source of concern to emerge was alcohol abuse, which was listed as an important national issue by 20% of people.
This may be accounted for by the publicity given to overindulgent celebrations by Leaving Cert students this summer.
