NWC welcomes Dáil motion for Action on Public Childcare

Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2025

The National Women’s Council (NWC) today (7th May) welcomed the motion on public childcare calling on the Government to take urgent action to tackle the crisis in early years education and care, and to engage with the asks of the Together for Public Alliance for a Public System of Early Childhood Education and Care, led by the National Women’s Council.

The motion, put forward by Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane, will be debated in the Dáil this evening and is expected to garner cross-party support. The motion follows a demonstration outside Leinster House last Thursday by the Together for Public Alliance calling on Government to move towards a public, inclusive, affordable and accessible system of childcare.

Some families in Ireland are paying up to €1,570 for full-time daycare per month, according to latest available figures from Pobal. Recent fee increases under the Fee Increase Assessment process have wiped out many of the gains made by the increases to the National Childcare Scheme subsidies in recent budgets. There are more than 50,000 children under 4 on waiting lists for places across the country (Pobal).

The Programme for Government commits to developing an Action Plan on early childhood education and care, to the reduction of fees for families to €200 per month per child, and to the roll out of state-led, public childcare provision. Today’s motion calls on the Government to move forward and publish a timeline for the Action Plan, providing an opportunity to chart a course towards a public system of early childhood education and care.

Orla O’Connor, Director of the NWC said,

“Our childcare system is broken, and every day without progress is another day of stress for families as they struggle to cover the cost of fees or secure childcare places for their children. The crisis is especially affecting women, including marginalised women such as lone parents, Traveller and Roma and migrant women, who cannot participate fully in society and are often forced to reduce their working hours or even leave the workforce entirely.

“The support from politicians, parents, providers, educators and civil society which was demonstrated outside Leinster House last Thursday is a clear indication that action on childcare must be a priority for this Government. Today’s motion, brought forward by Claire Kerrane TD, highlights the issues facing women, parents and families across the country, and we are urging all parties and independents to support the motion. 

“We are calling on the Government to deliver on their commitments, and we believe it is only possible to do so in a sustainable way if we move away from the current private provision of childcare subsided by the state, to a system where the State delivers childcare directly through a not-for-profit, public system. The Government’s promised Action Plan is an important step to start this system change and we need to see this delivered as a matter of urgency.”

Led by the National Women’s Council (NWC), the Together for Public Alliance brings together over 40 civil society organisations, trade unions, childcare providers, parents and academics who want to see a public system of early childhood education and care in Ireland.

The roll out of publicly-delivered services, targeting areas and communities that need it most
Better pay and conditions for educators – building a system where the state directly pays wages, like teachers
The reduction of costs and increasing affordability for families
A guaranteed legal right to affordable, accessible, universal, inclusive public ECEC for every child

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