Up to €8,000 in childcare subsidy for families earning less than €47,500
Mothers and creche operators have warned that the new childcare subsidies are stepping stones that do not go far enough.
All parents will see fees fall about €80 a month while the least well off, who use registered child minders or nurseries, will be in line for grants worth €8,000 from next September.
Ciara Olwill, living in the Liberties in Dublin and teaching in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Inchicore, said there should have been a greater distinction from high earners.
“I think it’s a stepping stone but it’s not enough,” she said. “The cost of childcare in this country is one of the highest there is. The €960 is roughly one month out of 12 of the childcare costs and one month is not enough, particularly for middle- and low-income earners.”
The pregnant mother-of-one said she believed child benefit should be means-tested and that graded subsidies for nursery, childminder and after-school care should be tailored to include average earners.
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