Calls for childcare scheme to help all

Both Early Childhood Ireland and one of the country’s leading academic experts in early childhood care say the new childcare measures must also be available “to the squeezed middle-income earners”.

Their comments come as Department of Children sources stated that “no significance should be attached to the mooted €47,000 threshold figure” as it was only used “to show how the model would work”. “Budget negotiations on this are continuing,” the source said.

There is widespread concern that a joint gross €47,000 income threshold would make the estimated €2,000 a year contribution below many middle-income earners.