Development plan includes €1bn for childcare

A CHILDCARE package costing in excess of €1 billion over the next seven years will feature in the Government’s multi-billion National Development Plan.

The seven-year plan, which will cost €180 billion, also commits to spending €50bn on “social inclusion”, which includes €20bn in funding aimed specifically at people with disabilities. Some €13bn of the planned budget for social inclusion will be spent on children’s programmes and about €9bn on services for older people.

The Government’s expected announcement at Dublin Castle today regarding the creation of more than 50,000 new childcare places is part of its plans to introduce 92,000 new places between 2000 and 2010.