Celtic Tiger preyed on mothers and children

AN RTÉ news programme last week featured a survey of early-morning commuters. One young woman motorist said she left home that morning for her work in Dublin at 5.30 with her son who she had to drop off on the way — presumably at a crèche or child-minders.

What sort of crazy system is this where young children are dragged out of bed at 5am and left all day with strangers?

This is so unfair on children and parents alike, and all for what? To pay a mortgage on a house they scarcely live in and will never own, the result of irresponsible lending by banks now demanding their money back.

This is not child-rearing, whatever the reason for it — it’s more like puppy-farming and studies indicate that young children left with strangers for lengthy periods like this experience real distress resulting in immediate and long-term psychological damage.

If this is the price young mothers have to pay to feed the Celtic Tiger, we should welcome the demise of this hungry, uncaring animal.

John F Murray

Garrylucas

Kinsale

Co Cork