Deputy Steven Matthews, Green Party TD for Wicklow has expressed his support for his party Colleague Minister for Children Roderic O’ Gorman after the announcement of an unprecedented childcare budget. The budget included €1 billion spending on childcare, which will represent an average of 25% decrease in childcare fees for parents and families. This is part of a wider Government commitment to halve the cost of childcare by 2024.
Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Matthews said:
“The budget decision pushed by my party colleague; Minister Roderic O’Gorman is an historic investment in childcare which I believe will be a life changing move for many families across Wicklow struggling with increasing childcare costs. This is the largest investment in the childcare and early learning sector in the history of the Irish state. An increase of €300 million to the sector in this year's budget, which will see savings for families up to €2100 per child and is another step forward by the Green Party to deliver on the commitment to prioritize families and to make Ireland the best place in Europe to raise children.”
The budget announcement also included funding for extra childcare places, which has been identified as a particular challenge experienced by parents with children under three.
Deputy Matthews continued:
“The €59 million provided by the Department aimed at dealing with the continuing demand for childcare places, an issue which I know is troubling many families around Wicklow. Having spoken to childcare providers around Wicklow as well as many parents of young children in recent months, I am acutely aware of the need for the funding announced. I hope that these measures will ease the worry of anyone impacted.
“The Green Party is delivering in Government, on transformative change to childcare through cuts to fees, improved conditions for childcare workers and significant increases in parental leave. The record levels of childcare funding announced in the budget comes 5 years ahead of our original goal to reach this figure by 2028,” Deputy Matthews concluded.
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