It is good to see political leaders respond constructively to a real social need, even if belatedly and in opportunist preparation for the next general election. So it is with childcare. The issue is set to figure centrally in next month's budget.
This has been stimulated by demands from young families paying exorbitant sums for these services - and by politicians' exposure to it during last February's commuter-belt Meath and North Kildare by-elections. It will be a major issue in the next election, when the expanding commuter constituencies may decide the overall result.
Now that large increases in public expenditure are being considered it is essential that the best policy priorities and options are debated and decided upon. There has been an impressive development of advocacy, research and representation by a range of lobby groups and specialists over the last year - and by political parties responding to them. Many of the details have been spelled out in a series of articles concluding in this newspaper today. Reports of the OECD's consultations with the Government reveal the extent to which it is planned to increase annual expenditure. There is thus an opportunity to have an informed debate on the matter.
A majority of women - 51.4 per cent compared to 35.7 per cent 10 years ago - are now in the Central Statistics Office classification of employed or available for employment, while the latest figures show that the number of women at work is 776,800 compared to 539,400 in so-called home duties. Yet, compared to other European states Ireland spends far less on childcare - an estimated 0.4 per cent of Gross National Product compared to 2.4 per cent in Denmark and plans to increase the spend to 2 per cent in the UK by 2020. The OECD document reveals the Government is prepared to increase the spending to 1 per cent of GNP or €1.2 billion a year. Compared to that the Labour Party's plans have been costed at €1.5 billion, while Fine Gael is to reveal its plans at its weekend ard-fheis. Other parties are giving it equal attention.
All concerned should pay close attention to the specialist advice coming from the newly formed Irish Childcare Policy Network on how best to direct this extra spending. It represents childminders, creches, specialists in early years education and child protection organisation such as Barnardos and the Children's Rights Alliance. They want to see subsidies put in place to cut childcare costs for parents by 50 per cent and a growing investment in early childhood care and facilities ring-fenced from other child services. They call for a drastic overhaul and simplification of departmental responsibility, to reflect the new importance of the issue. Their approach is generally supported by the OECD, which draws on relevant international experience suggesting it is better to support parental demand than producers' supply of these services. There is a real opportunity to design a new system from best international practice rather than knee-jerk politics. Voters should pay close attention.