Sinn Féin seeks €267m investment to cut childcare costs by two thirds 

Kathleen Funchion TD says it ought to be seen as an essential service, just as secondary education was in the 1960s

Kathleen Funchion TD, Sinn Féin's spokesperson on children, said the increased State funding would bring fees down by two thirds, and that ECCE funds would remain in place. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to invest a further €267m in childcare to bring down the monthly costs on parents by two-thirds.

Kathleen Funchion, the party’s spokeswoman on children, said childcare costs are at a crisis point and too many parents struggle to afford them. She said the high cost of childcare is forcing many parents, but especially women, to leave work to care for children at home instead.

Ms Funchion said childcare and early years learning now need to be seen as an essential public service, just as secondary school education was when it was made free in 1967.

The party is bringing forward a Dáil motion next week calling for a radical overhaul of childcare, which would make fees more affordable.

“It is estimated that a provider’s staff costs are around 68%,” said Ms Funchion. “So if the State was to take on more of that expense, then you would have a knock-on reduction in fees.”

Ms Funchion said increasing the current State funding by €267m, which would bring the overall annual expenditure on the sector to just under €1bn, would mean parents would see the amount they have to pay go down by hundreds of euros each month.

“It would bring fees down by two thirds. The ECCE funds would still remain in place as well,” the Carlow-Kilkenny TD said.

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She pointed to the interventions made during the pandemic, when the Government stepped in to cover staffing costs, which she said proves that it can be done.

With childcare costs ranging from €800 to €1,350 per month per child, Ms Funchion said couples are having to factor in the financial implications of starting or expanding their family, and the cost of childcare is also having an impact on when parents return to work.