Women’s Council seeks major improvements in parental leave

The National Women's Council has called for major improvements in paid parental leave as a means of addressing Ireland's childcare problems.

The council said mothers and fathers should have the option to stay at home during the first full year of their children's lives and should be supported in this decision by the State.

It has also called for the provision of free pre-school care to all three- to four-year-olds and subsidies of at least 50% for childcare costs.

The Women's Council said these measures would cost €1.4bn to implement, which is 1% of Ireland's GDP, the level the OECD says should be spent on early childhood care and education.