The Government is failing to invest adequately in childcare according to the ICTU assistant general secretary.
Speaking on the second day of the congress’s biennial conference in Bundoran, Ms Joan Carmichael said the money earmarked for childcare in the National Development Plan would not sufficiently address the issue.
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Under the plan, £300 million will be provided to assist childcare providers to upgrade their facilities, increase places and train childcare workers.
But Ms Carmichael said the situation was "moving too slowly" and demand was outstripping supply. "The lack of good quality affordable childcare places is a barrier to women’s retention in or return to the workforce," she said.
She also said the issue of parental leave was not being addressed.
"In the absence of paid parental leave, working parents simply cannot afford to avail of their right to take leave to care for their young children."
She said Ireland has the economic circumstances to address the issue but "the continued opposition to the introduction of a parental-leave payment serves to highlight the hypocrisy that exists on this issue."
The call for direct investment by the Government into childcare facilities was echoed by SIPTU.
Speaking at the ICTU conference, SIPTU National Equality Secretary Ms Rosheen Callender said: "There must be no more fudge on this crucial issue, no more sleight of hand by the Government, no more pretence that increases in child benefit for which we have campaigned for many years can possibly pay for child care when it isn’t adequate to its original task of feeding, clothing and housing children and providing for their basic needs. "
Ms Callender also criticised the 1998 Parental Leave Act, which, she said, would not work unless it was accompanied by a social welfare payment.
