The 125-page report, which focuses on improving the affordability, quality and supply of school-age care and education services, does however contain a number of other options.
Three of these include extending paid parental leave from six months to a full year, extending the free pre-school year in order to allow children up to two years of care and education, and capping the cost of childcare for working parents at €4.50 an hour.
It has been established that many of the proposals contained within the report, which was published today following a Cabinet meeting at Lissadell House in Co. Sligo, are extremely costly and likely to take a number of years to officially implement.
The most expensive proposal being the suggestion to extend paid parental leave by a further six months - an endeavour which would cost approximately €273 million.
As opposed to proposing tax relief for childcare - a method used to curtail the cost in various other countries - the report instead focuses on subsidising childcare fees for working parents or capping fees for individuals on middle or higher incomes.
It is understood that the report should be viewed as a 'discussion document' as further work is needed to implement the proposals.
The report follows much discussion surrounding the cost and quality of childcare in Ireland.
