National care plan urged

THE State will have to invest an extra €3.4 billion over the next five years to care for children, elderly and disabled people, a report said last night.

This would be used to pay for specialist care as well as workplace-based crèches, private and community housing and nursing homes.

The Caring for the Future report, carried out by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said there was an urgent need for a national care initiative.

“It would demonstrate that, as a country, we accept that caring and a modern care infrastructure are now as important a priority for our continuing economic and social prosperity as the so-called hard infrastructure of transport, housing and roads.”

The report cited a recent study of childcare systems in Europe which ranked Ireland bottom of the 15 countries evaluated in terms of provision yet the most expensive in terms of cost.

The report found that for many families, childcare is both unavailable and unaffordable.