State ‘must invest in childcare to support women’

THE National Women’s Council of Ireland has called for a State-subsidised childcare system to support women who wish to work or return to education.

The organisation says the introduction of tax relief for working parents would be “totally inequitable” and says research shows the best models of child support are publicly funded.

“The issue is not that childcare is exceptionally expensive, but it’s the complete lack of State investment that’s notable,” Orla O’Connor, the council’s head of policy, said. “We need to move into a situation where the State invests in childcare in the same way as it does in education.”