5 Fold Increase in Childcare Payments under FG proposals to Support Working Families

Growing economy & affordable childcare go hand in hand

€400 per month for under 3s

4 weeks extra per year free pre-school

 Our economy has never been stronger. More people are working in Ireland now than ever before and incomes are rising. This progress cannot be taken for granted. Childcare is central to Fine Gael’s plan to support working families while securing our economic growth.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said,

“We are now 48 hours away from the United Kingdom, our nearest neighbours, leaving the European Union. However, that doesn’t mean Brexit is done. In fact, we’re only at half time. Fine Gael will continue to fight for the best possible trade deal to protect jobs and your family’s future.

“More families than ever before are working hard up and down the country. We must put our best team forward to ensure the opportunities these families have worked so hard for are protected.”

Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty said:

“Fine Gael, together with the Irish people, has got Ireland back working.  We believe that affordable childcare is central to any growing economy. They go hand in hand.”

Fine Gael in government will provide:

• €400 per month for under 3s. Fine Gael will increase the current universal payment of €80 per month to €400 per month for all parents with children under 3 over the next 5 years.
• 4 weeks extra childcare under ECCE scheme. We will increase the number of weeks available under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme from 38 weeks to 42 weeks – up to 8 weeks extra per child (as is a two year scheme).

• Support for low income families. €150m will be invested to increase both the threshold and the subsidy under the National Childcare Scheme. This will allow parents– including of school age children– to receive a payment based on their income, benefitting more hard working middle income working parents.
• Childminders and parents using childminding services should also benefit from these subsidies. Working with childminders, we will publish a Childminding Support and Inclusion Plan that will assist transition.

• More family time. We will extend parental leave for both parents to 9 weeks each in the first year.

 Minister Finance Paschal Donohoe said,

“With the right policies in place, the Irish people rebuilt the economy, piece by piece, from the ruins of the crash. We are now in a position whereby more people are working than ever before and economic growth is on a sustainable footing. We cannot take this progress for granted.

“We believe that investment in childcare is crucial as we secure this economic growth. We have already increased funding in childcare by almost 250% from €274m in 2015 to €638m this year. Under our Plan, in 2025, the childcare budget will be over €1bn.

“This investment is to help parents with the costs but also continue a reform of the sector to ensure future sustainability.”

Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys said:

“Jobs and a strong economy are the lynchpin of a fair society. They are two sides of the same coin. We have a plan to create 200,000 additional new jobs by 2025, meaning a job for everyone who needs one.

“Childcare is a crucial part of this plan and we will also provide more opportunities for remote and flexible working arrangements, which are so important for working families. We are the only party committed to rolling out high speed broadband to every person in the country, a key enabler of opening up all of this potential.”