Varadkar: State must do more on childcare

The Government needs to improve childcare provision for working families, according to Transport Minister Leo Varadkar, who said he was sorry if he caused confusion with his remarks on the issue in recent days.

“Maybe I should have been clearer and I’m sorry if I said anything that was contradictory,” he said when questions about his comments on Tuesday that some working women would have to choose between their careers and mortgages under insolvency guidelines.

But a Labour party TD said Mr Varadkar’s guarded apology was too late.

Ciara Conway said that while “the minister has clarified his poorly chosen comments, the damage is done, as it has sparked concern”.

Mr Varadkar sparked uproar when he told Wednesday’s Irish Examiner that childcare costs would form part of the new income and living standard guidelines for the Personal Insolvency Service.

“As I understand it this would only pertain to cases where somebody’s child care bills exceed what they are making at work,” he said.

“I know one or two women who probably don’t make very much money at all from working but they do it to keep their position on the career ladder, if you like, and that is a legitimate thing to do. But if you can’t pay your mortgage as a result, or buy your groceries as a result, then that is something that needs to be taken into account in any insolvency arrangement.”

Yesterday he said the Taoiseach was “absolutely right” that “nobody is going to be asked to give up their job or their career”.

The minister said he was not involved in drawing up the guidelines, which have not yet been published.

“I know childcare is not a luxury. I represent a constituency full of young couples and families and for many of them childcare is almost a second mortgage.”

He said it was “extremely expensive and an area where the Government need to do more”.

Asked if he regretted his remarks, he said he was “happy to clarify what I said”.

Ms Conway said the guidelines have yet to be published “and we have a commitment from the Taoiseach saying that they will not contain a provision that would see mothers having to give up their jobs if the cost of childcare means that work is unprofitable”.

“It’s already very difficult for women in the workplace, and any moves to penalise working parents have to be rejected outright.

“Childcare is usually a temporary cost — often needed most when children are very young, in the pre-school stage.”

The Waterford TD also called for a statutory entitlement to paternity leave for fathers after the birth or adoption of a child:

“These are the sort of measure we should be focusing on, rather than any suggestion that childcare is a luxury. Parents are people who make a valuable contribution to society, and any woman willing to balance a career with motherhood should be facilitated and encouraged rather than have childcare considered a luxury.”