Public meeting on education and childcare
A public meeting on early years education and childcare will take place on Thursday, February 2nd in the d Hotel hosted by local Senator Gerald Nash.
The meeting will be addressed by former Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan TD.
Local childcare providers, staff and parents have been invited to the meeting.
Senator Nash said: ‘Childcare costs for working families are an enormous burden. In 2015, we introduced an additional free pre-school year and while this is welcome, it doesn’t got sufficiently far to address the high costs for parents, the need for additional support and subventions for providers and improved salaries for highly qualified an committed early years education sector staff.
‘A dramatic increase in State spending on childcare and early years education for all children under 12 was proposed by the Labour Party last year and we believe that the current government’s programme and the measures in Budget 2017 are sadly lacking. Our plan is to cap the cost of childcare for all children under 12 to €4.25 per hour for up to 40 hours per week, 48 weeks of the year. At a cost of e71million this would make a real and lasting impact on take home pay and living standards for parents of young families.’
He went on to say that a high quality system depends on top class, highly trained professional staff who are paid a decent living and said Labour’s plan would see workers paid at least €11.50 per hour.