Press Release: Affordable Childcare for All by 2014: Wishing Won’t Get Us There, Minister

Published: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The three organisations behind the 7 Is Too Young campaign have said that they continue to have grave concerns about changes to the One Parent Family Payment as set out in Section 4 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill. Following a meeting with Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton yesterday, OPEN, Barnardos and the National Women's Council of Ireland said that they continue to oppose the removal of the lone parent payment once the youngest child reaches 7 years as set out in the Bill. The group welcomed the Minister's commitment to developing childcare and after school care in Ireland, but said that they were not convinced that quality childcare of the kind needed can be delivered in the very ambitious timeframe being put forward by the Minister.

Frances Byrne, Director of OPEN, said: "While we all support the development of a Scandinavian approach to childcare and after school care in Ireland, we do not believe that changes to the One Parent Family Payment should be cemented in legislation before affordable and accessible care is in place. The Minister has made it clear that there is no extra funding available for investment in restructuring childcare services in the short or medium term. We simply do not believe that radical reform of childcare services can happen in the next 18 months when the changes set out in the Social Welfare Bill would become a reality for lone parents, particularly in light of the current fiscal climate."

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