Citizens’ Assembly – National Women’s Council welcomes strong support for public childcare model

Published: Sunday, January 17, 2021

Responding to the feedback from citizens following yesterday’s session of the Citizens’ Assembly on Care, the National Women’s Council (NWC) today welcomed the strong support of the citizens for a publicly funded childcare model that ensures affordability for parents.

Orla O’Connor, Director of NWC said, “We welcome the strong call from the citizens yesterday for a much greater role of the State in relation to the provision of care in this country. In particular, we welcome the strong support for a public childcare model. This model will be the best way to ensure quality, accessibility and affordability to parents. But it must also be a way to improve pay and conditions for workers, as was highlighted by the citizens.”

She continued, “We also welcome the strong emphasis that citizens put on the need for care to be person centred, ensuring that the needs of the person and families who need care and supports are prioritized over profits and costs.”

The citizens in their feedback session also called for all carers to have universal access to full pensions and to remove means test for pensions. 

Orla O’Connor said, “This is critical information for the Commission on Pensions who will make recommendations to Government on State pensions.   The views of the citizens affirm the NWC campaign to reform our State pensions to bring equality for women into our pensions system.”

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For more information, please contact Silke Paasche, Head of Communications, NWC, Tel. 085 858 9104.