The National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) will publish a strategy document today in which it will recommend that the cost of childcare for parents should be reduced by half.
The paper will lay out a strategy for the group over the next 10 years.
The group is proposing that a publicly funded childcare system be supported by the Government which would provide for better maternity leave, subsidised childcare and quality early childhood care and education.
The NWCI's model, which draws on research funded by the Department of Justice and conducted by the Centre for Social and Educational Research in DIT, focuses on subsidising childcare to make it more accessible and affordable for parents.
The NWCI calls for paid maternity leave to be extended from 18 to 26 weeks, five days' paid paternity leave and 26 weeks' paid parental leave.
