Government accused of reneging on 'big election promises' to reduce costs of childcare

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said families were still paying 'enormous sums for childcare' after Government parties had committed to cap costs at €200 a month in their general election manifestos

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the Government had made no effort to bring childcare costs down.

The Government has “unashamedly reneged” on promises it made to the public during the general election to reduce childcare costs, the Dáil has heard.

In a heated exchange between Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns and Taoiseach Micheál Martin at leaders’ questions, Ms Cairns said the Government had made no effort to bring costs down.

The programme for government promises to reduce childcare costs to €200 a month per child in the lifetime of the Government.

The Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael election manifestos also contained commitments to cap costs at €200.

Ms Cairns said ahead of the general election in November 2024, the Government started to “splash the cash” to “distract voters from the Government's failure” and made a range of “cast-iron commitments”.

“We were told that childcare costs were at the top of Fianna Fáil's agenda, while Fine Gael promised to publish a plan to cap costs and deliver a public model of childcare within the first 100 days of office,” she told the Dáil.

A full 475 days later, where are we now? Childcare costs have not come down by a single cent. Families with young children are still paying enormous sums for childcare.

Ms Cairns said this was impacting women’s ability to go back to work and they are being left with no choice but to take unpaid maternity leave.

She also told Mr Martin it was “extraordinary” he would not commit to reducing childcare costs in the upcoming budget during an interview on Virgin Media’s Gavan Reilly Show on Monday evening.

The Taoiseach argued there had been “very significant progress made in childcare in the last number of years”.

He accused Ms Cairns of not acknowledging that costs had been reduced, as he argued that, due to subsidies, the average cost is now €198.70 a week.

“We have more to do, and we want to reduce the fees even further. We are going to continue to work on that, and the forthcoming budget will be an opportunity to improve the situation in terms of the cost of childcare and also in terms of payments.”

Ms Cairns later accused Mr Martin and the Government parties of breaking promises it had made in the course of the general election.

“The Taoiseach seems to just think it is par for the course to make these big election promises to people and then completely, unashamedly renege on them afterwards," she said.

“That plámásing the electorate and promising things is just part of electioneering. It is not. People believed the Taoiseach when he said there would be a reduction in childcare fees. People believed this Government when they promised to roll out a plan for a public model of childcare.

“I just hope that people watching will judge this Government not on its empty promises in the lead-up to the next election but on its actions now.”

In response, Mr Martin lambasted the Social Democrats' childcare plans, saying they “lacked substance”.

“The lack of detail. The lack of flesh on the bone,” he said.

“The bottom line is a lot of what the Social Democrats say as a party lacks that substance and that detail.

“You cannot, overnight, move from where we currently are into a full public model. You just cannot do that and you should acknowledge the honesty of that proposition.”