Childcare package - Proposals do not go far enough

ANOTHER broadside has been fired in the battle for the hearts and minds of thousands of voters frustrated at the Government’s failure to tackle the vexed question of childcare.

Yesterday's coalition announcement of a €45 million package to create over 3,000 new childcare places indicates the administration is alert to the political peril of this explosive issue.

The coalition's failure to confront the huge financial burden on couples struggling to meet childcare costs, has effectively put the controversy centre-stage in the run-up to an election that could be called any time between now and May 2007.

Politically, the Government knows it can no longer stonewall demands for action. That blunt message was delivered to Fianna Fáil candidates on the doorstep in the last local elections, when the party was decimated in the polls.

With its popularity rating on a downward curve, the Government is desperate to regain ground already lost in the PR battle with the Labour Party over childcare.

Labour has taken a significant lead by making its 1 billion childcare policy an essential ingredient of any future coalition arrangement.

Doubtless, that explains why Justice Minister Michael McDowell yesterday unveiled a funding initiative aimed at creating 3,813 new childcare places and supporting 2,144 existing places.

It is evident from this announcement that the Government parties are pedalling furiously in a bid to catch up on Labour who have stolen a march by confronting the childcare issue head-on.

Hence the Government's promise of €41.3m for 43 community-based not-for-profit childcare services around the country. An additional €4.3m is being provided for staffing assistance to 51 community groups and private providers.

Among the various groups that will receive funding are six childcare services located in third level educational campuses. That makes a lot of sense because it will enable young parents to advance their educational and employment prospects without having to worry about the heavy burden of childcare costs.

Thanks to the initiative, both the Tallaght Tots at the Tallaght Institute of Technology and Cuddles Crèche at the Cork College of Commerce will receive 1m each. Reflecting the spread of the scheme, community projects ranging from Dublin to Galway and Limerick are among those earmarked for extra funding.

Significantly, the announcement coincides with publication of the latest report from a working group of the National Childcare Co-ordinating Committee which has come up with a number of novel recommendations. These include the use of school premises, where appropriate, as a quality school age childcare service. How this will work out remains to be seen as major issues such as insurance, staffing and the development of practical programmes have yet to be agreed.

While teachers acknowledge the importance of childcare, they are unlikely to support anything that will increase the heavy administrative demands on school management.

Similarly, parents will broadly welcome the principle but they can also be expected to oppose any proposal that means becoming directly involved in setting up or running school-based childcare centres.

As far as they go, the proposals deserve to be welcomed. But they do not go far enough. They will not satisfy the mounting demands from thousands of parents virtually forced to take out a second mortgage to meet soaring childcare costs. They want action from Government not empty promises.