Rip-off prices, health and childcare top three issues

CHILDCARE costs have emerged as the second most important political issue for full time-working parents with young children, according to the Irish Examiner/Lansdowne opinion poll on childcare.

Six out of ten working couples with children under 5 identify childcare as the second most pressing issue for them politically, marginally behind the related issue of cost-of-living/ 'rip off Ireland'. Unusually, childcare is a bigger priority for these families than healthcare, traditionally among the top two issues.

As these families pay an average of almost €500 per month in childcare costs (amounting to 17% of their income), it is clear this group’s voting preferences will be determined by policies concerning the cost of living and childcare.