Studies warn of poverty traps

The real cost of childcare for working parents in Ireland is the highest in the developed world and creates a poverty trap, according to research by the EU and the OECD.

Social Protection Minister Joan Burton has admitted the Government has failed to change the situation.

“There has not been a good outcome for children despite the emphasis on lone parents,” she said, adding that the problems lay in the provision of childcare and options for training and education for these parents.