LABOUR Party general election candidate for Limerick City, Cllr Conor Sheehan, has called for a public childcare system.
Cllr Sheehan was speaking following Labour’s launch of a new plan to introduce a publicly provided childcare system. The election hopeful believes that parents across the country are struggling to access affordable, reliable childcare.
“Under the current Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael government, parents in Limerick are paying between €700-€800 monthly per child — this is simply unsustainable for many parents,” he said.
“That’s why two years ago, Labour proposed a monthly cap on childcare costs of €200 per child, the equivalent of €50 per week or €10 per day.”
Parents in Limerick, he said, are crying out for a childcare system that works for them, “not against them”.
“We have seen funding for childcare reach nearly €1.4billion by 2025, yet most of it is channelled into private, for-profit childcare services. Families are paying dearly for what should be a public service. This must change. It’s time we recognised that childcare is a basic service, and we should be investing in it as such.
“Parents in Limerick shouldn’t be struggling to find a place for their child,” he said.
He said that Labour’s vision is to offer 6,000 new public childcare places each year, supported by 100 new services annually and employing around 11 staff members per service.
Cllr Sheehan said that Labour is also proposing a new agency dedicated to early years education and school-age care.
“Labour’s public childcare plan will eventually shift responsibility to a new national agency, ensuring continuous development and investment in public childcare facilities. With a minimum of €70million annually earmarked for a capital building programme, we’ll work to co-locate these new services with existing schools wherever possible, creating a robust system that meets families’ needs in Limerick and across Ireland.”
