The €54 million announced for childcare in Budget 2020 is a "severe underinvestment" that will keep childcare services "grossly unaffordable".
This is the view of Green Party Galway City West councillor, Pauline O'Reilly, who said the investment across the National Childcare Scheme, ECCE and the Access and Inclusion model, was "minimal" and was "akin to the Government's flawed approach to housing". She said Budget 2020 was "simply is not radical enough to address poverty for families."
Cllr O'Reilly, who is also the Green's spokesperson for children and youth affairs, is calling on the Government to invest in a public model of affordable crèches. She also wants to see the age for eligibility for the one family payment increased to 13, and for increased investment and an opening of the Home Carer Tax Credit to non marital families.
