We shouldn’t make it hard for parents to stay home and care for their children

HOW can any progress be made for children in Ireland if every single time anyone suggests an alternative approach to their care they are accused of wanting to send women back to the kitchen?

Short of printing the paragraph in shocking pink, I don’t think I could have been more explicit that this was not my intention in my column here last week. I wrote: “I really am not saying that mothers should stay home if they don’t want to. These are decisions which parents should make for themselves. Deputising to a minder or a family member if you both go out to work is a good idea.”

This was described on this page on Tuesday by Fergus Finlay as “a sweeping condemnation of childcare.”