Childcare to be a faultline between outgoing coalition parties

Taoiseach likely to dissolve the Dáil on Thursday

Green Party leader and Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman has previously said that he wants to establish a public model for childcare.

The issue of childcare looks set to be a faultline between outgoing coalition parties, with the Green Party accusing its partners of "back of a cigarette packet" policies and of "stealing Green clothes".

Taoiseach Simon Harris is likely to dissolve the Dáil on Thursday, setting the stage for a three-week campaign in which the outgoing coalition will be forced to argue its differences while defending its collective record, with approaches to housing, childcare and tax set to become points of contention.