In the absence of subsidies, Irish childcare costs are among the world’s most expensive

The high cost of childcare is creating immense problems for many Irish parents. It is causing stress, preventing parents from working and driving them into the unregulated world of paid childminders.

All these factors emerge in the Irish Times Ipsos MRBI Family Values poll, which examines current childcare arrangements, among other subjects.

The results show only a fifth of children being cared for in creches. A large majority of parents now use informal childcare arrangements, such as grandparents, family members, friends or neighbour and childminders.

Read the full article by Carl O’Brien in the Irish Times here