Cost of childcare has Irish parents turning to au pairs and live-in nannies

Irish families currently pay higher childcare costs than their European counterparts which means that many parents around the country have found themselves using the services of au pairs and live-in nannies as opposed to créche or after-school facilities.  

Childcare professionals acknowledge that parents are struggling to meet the costs and feel that this is because the Government isn't investing enough. As it stands, the Irish Government currently spend 0.15% GDP on pre-school services which is a whopping five time less than the OECD.

With parents turning their back on créches, au pairing has become a booming industry in Ireland, but individual employees claim to be overworked and underpaid. A recent study undertaken by the Migrants Right Centre Ireland reported that 36% of au pairs feel exploited by their employers.

Deciding to spend between €80 and €150 a week on an au pair means Irish parents are saving a vast amount of money on their childcare costs.

Childcare professionals feel that the government needs to urgently focus its attention on the issue and by marching on the Dáil today, these individuals will appeal for government investment.

Commenting on the issue, The director of Start Strong, Ciairín de Buis, said: "Irish parents pay some of the highest fees in the world- this isn't because we have the most expensive childcare in the world- but because our government invests so little."