It mightn't come as a surprise to those who foot the childcare bill that we are paying too much for childcare.
Minister Katherine Zappone has recognised Irish parents' struggle to meet the monthly fees.
Her comments come as a Newstalk survey unearthed that parents pay a national average monthly cost of €745, which is a €40 increase since 2013.
The data collected is based upon the average cost of a two-year-old in full-time childcare for five days a week.
The results also discovered that the capital has the highest prices.
Dublin parents fork out an average of a staggering €1,047 per month.
Longford is the place to relocate if you want to benefit from the lowest creche fees with parents paying an average of €650.
Over 130 creche and childcare facilities participated in the survey.
The Minister spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about their findings, saying that while she accepts parents pay too much, the government has increased investment in the last two years.
"It's too much for parents to pay, I accept that...I think it's also the case... that there have been decades of under-investment," she said.
"So that's why it's on the one hand, for parents to know - yes it's too much to pay - but on the other hand since 2016 we've increased our investment by over 80 percent."
Minister Zappone continued that without the investment less children would benefit from the service and fees would be higher.
"I do accept that that doesn't necessarily make parents feel any better in that regards - but what I can say is that since I've come in we've had significant increased investment and I am absolutely determined to continue that path", Ms Zappone added.
The Children's Minister said she had planned to meet Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe next week regarding the issue.
In the meantime, she highlighted the announcements in Budget 2018 which will come into effect in September.
It will see the government investing more into providers.
The Minister added that her preferred model for childcare is one they're pursuing, which is based on "international evidence."
"It has to do with then that if you have a mixture of private and non-profit providers - and that in order to ensure quality, the best way is for us as a Government to provide subsidisation to the costs that the providers offer to the parents," she explained.
The news might be welcomed by parents as creche fees will always be a topic for concern as they continue to be one of our biggest monthly outgoings.
