The Government has totally failed the parents and children of the Republic, the Labour Party's spokeswoman on childcare, Senator Kathleen O'Meara, said last night.
"Many thousands of working parents are crippled by the high cost of childcare. Many mothers are being forced to leave the workforce and give up their careers, not only because of the cost of childcare but because families want to, and need to, spend more time with their children," she said.
Labour, she added, was insisting that its childcare policy be accepted as a cornerstone of any election agreement.
She outlined the policy's main elements:
• A year's parental leave.
• A free pre-school place for every three-year-old.
• A tax exemption for childminders on the first €8,000 earned.
• Family-friendly work options.
• Abolition of rates on childcare centres.
• Subsidy of up to 40 per cent for parents on the average cost of childcare.
Ms O'Meara said the party was committed to developing a national childcare infrastructure which put children first, gave parents choice and flexibility, supported childminders and their communities, tackled disadvantage and sustained the economy.
"After almost eight years in power, this Government has totally failed working parents and their children. They had to go to the doorsteps of Kildare and Meath to find out something the rest of us have known for years," she said.