With a general election looming, parties have begun to come out all guns blazing with their manifestos, and the Labour Party has made a major play this week with its proposed childcare scheme.
According to a report in the Irish Independent, if re-elected to government the Labour Party will introduce a new scheme that will see childcare costs reduced to just €2 an hour.
The scheme will run on the basis of a State-subsidised service offered to children aged nine months to 12 years, for 40 hours a week.
Given that the national average cost of childcare currently stands at €4.25 per hour, this scheme would have a major impact on the lives of parents all over the country.
It is intended that the new proposals would be offered on top of the free pre-school scheme, and that they would be phased in up to 2021.
Confirming the news this morning, Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan told the Irish Independent: “The State has never invested in childcare and, as the economy recovers, it is time to change that for once and for all.”
What are your thoughts on the proposals?
