The cost-of-living crisis is impacting families of all backgrounds. The bite is being felt at the petrol pump, at the grocery till, in the utility bills and beyond. For working families, one of the most expensive monthly outlays is childcare fees. Families in Limerick with both parents working full time who are not fortunate enough to have additional family support are paying up to €300 per week on crèche fees. For those availing of a childminder, the fee is closer to €250 per week, which is a significant expense, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis that has stripped families of available income. These are, of course, families who have been fortunate enough to secure childcare places in the first place. Up to 50,000 children across the State remain on waiting lists for childcare places that do not exist. In one of the most disadvantaged areas of Limerick, Ballinacurra Weston, there are 214 children on a waiting list with no early childcare places from September at Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre. The staff in the local facility are faced with prospect of having to tell parents that there is no place available for their child. Childcare is not a luxury for families; it is a necessity that allows parents to go to work. While many parents struggle to find a place for their child, other parents worry that the childcare arrangements could suddenly end because of the difficulty faced in retaining early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners. It is abundantly clear from talking to those in the profession that the current employment regulation order is not working. The State must be prepared to work towards taking responsibility for employment costs and wages where necessary. Crèches across the State are coming under huge pressure due to the lack of sufficient core funding. One crèche in a Limerick suburb faced the prospect of closing its kitchen due to the lack of funding, adding to the cost for families who must spend more to provide meals for their children attending the creche. The core funding scheme must be reviewed. It should be done with a view to indexing it to inflation. Crèches and childcare facilities throughout the State are functioning month to month due to increases in the costs they face. I urge parties to support the motion's objectives of increasing the number of early years places and school-age childcare hours in September, the immediate review of the core funding scheme and publication of the details on how the Government is going to deliver €200 per month childcare with a clear timescale on how it will be achieved.

Sentiment score: -0.04