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.