Childcare does not just concern "working" parents. A survey of childcare needs in one of the most isolated Gaeltacht areas has identified a demand to extend the same level of support to parents both at home and in paid employment.
The study of 54 households in the barony of Erris in north Mayo found that 58 per cent of families had difficulty gaining access to pre-school services, and a majority agreed that the State did not provide adequate support to parents with children up to six years of age.
The findings were published recently by the Minister of State for Health and Children, Dr Tom Moffatt, in Erris, Co Mayo.
Some 96 per cent of respondents said they would be interested in joining a local service where parents and their children met regularly, if it was established.
Some 65 per cent of respondents said they would be willing to hold such gatherings in their home.
In 70 per cent of cases, one of the parents was the primary daytime minder of children; the mother in 63 per cent of cases.
Only 10 per cent of respondents used paid childcare primarily, and 80 per cent agreed that parents or close relations were preferable in terms of minding options.
Accessibility and transport are key factors in the area, given the low density and widely dispersed nature of the population.
The report recommends that new services targeted at families with children in the six and under age group be provided at a level similar to the existing primary school infrastructure, and through a home-based service similar to that of the public health nursing service.
Given that the needs of the families in the barony are much greater than just childcare, it says that resources should be allocated equally to services for those parents who wish to enter or return to the workplace and those who choose to stay at home to raise children for certain periods of time.
The study was carried out by the Erris Early Years Project, comprising representatives from the Western Health Board, Mayo VEC, An Comhchoiste Reamhscolaiochta, Udaras na Gaeltachta, Meitheal Mhaigheo, the Irish Pre-School Playgroups Association, Erris Leader Development Project and Western Care.