Putting second ECCE year on hold will punish parents

Some reactions to the Prime Time revelations concerning the abuse of children in childcare seem wide of the mark.

Firstly, only those facilities featured in the programme can be said to be at fault.

Secondly, though the ECCE grant is paid directly to the service providers, it is a subsidy for parents, not the service providers, and the notion that service providers are being subsidised by the Government is incorrect. Equally, the suggestion that the proposed, second subsidised year should be put on hold will only punish children whose parents cannot afford a second year.

Finally, though I would agree that all childcare and pre-schooling facilities should be State-owned, this should be true of all services and enterprises — it’s called socialism. Yet, many of those up in arms about this will, no doubt, continue to defend private healthcare and education (and gyms, golf clubs, yacht clubs, etc).

Dominic Carroll

Ardfield

Co Cork