Tax breaks for developers who build childcare facilities as part of new housing schemes should be stopped, Minister of State for Justice Frank Fahey has said.
Speaking at the launch of the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) "Accessible Childcare Model", the Minister said Part 5 of the Planning Act could be extended so that the developer would be required to provide a site for childcare facilities, instead of agreeing to build one, when applying for planning permission for housing developments.
And instead of being a "profit point" for developers, the site could be handed over to provide community childcare facilities, which would have a significant input in reducing costs, he said.
Mr Fahey said the Government was determined to provide a much greater number of childcare places at lower costs as part of a 10-year rolling programme and the Minister for Finance would be considering some proposals as part of the next Budget.
However, asked if there were specific plans to help support parents who opt to stay at home to care for their children, he said that he was "not aware of any plan at the moment".
He welcomed the NWCI model and said the Government would consider the choices it put forward.
The model, which draws on research funded by the Department of Justice and carried out by the Centre for Social and Educational Research for the NWCI, recommends a publicly funded childcare system with better maternity leave, subsidised childcare and quality early childhood care and education.
It recommends free education of 17.5 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds and subsidised childcare for children who need it up to 14.
Childcare would be 100 per cent subsidised for children from low-income families, with a 75 per cent subsidy for those in the 20 per cent tax bracket and a 50 per cent subsidy for all other families.
The model also calls for paid maternity leave to be increased from 18 to 26 weeks, five days' paid paternity leave and 26 weeks' paid parental leave. The cost of the 10-year strategy is estimated at 1 per cent of GDP, €1.7 billion, once it is fully implemented.
Orla O'Connor, head of policy at the NWCI, said that despite Ireland being one of the richest countries in the world, childcare ser-vices are poorly developed.
"The effect of Government inaction around the issue of childcare is contributing to the high levels of child poverty and women's poverty in Ireland," Ms O'Connor said.
However, Tánaiste Mary Harney said there was no question of being able to pay somebody for a year's maternity leave.
"That would not be affordable in the economy," she said.
Dr Noirin Hayes, of the Centre for Social and Educational Research, said that investment in childcare would be recouped through increased tax takes and future social and economic savings, which would be the result of a high quality childcare service.
