Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)

I thank Deputies Kerrane and Funchion for bringing this motion forward. Irish parents now pay some of the highest childcare fees in the OECD. Some pay the equivalent of a second mortgage, at nearly €1,400 per month, with my own constituency of South Kildare ranking among the most expensive counties for crèches in Ireland. This is an intolerable strain on parents who are already struggling with high mortgages, rents and the cost-of-living increases. Government failures to properly engage with parents and providers mean issues with childcare providers, rising costs and affordability were left behind. Increased investments and subsidies are a waste when they miss the target, leaving hard-pressed parents paying the price.

Sinn Féin has done its homework on this and it shows. I refer to affordability at €10 per day per child in crèches and childcare, increasing capacity by extending the €10-a-day cap to registered childminders and making childcare a viable career choice through increasing the hourly wage by €1.50 initially, with a further pay increase over a five-year period. It is time to follow European counterparts like Denmark and Sweden and fully recognise the importance of affordable and accessible childcare for parents. Sinn Féin has always been fully committed to a publicly funded childcare model. The time for that is now and Sinn Féin in government would bring this plan to fruition in 2025. Our children deserve nothing less.

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