Childcare Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Ruth Coppinger (PBP), Dublin West

The problem is that the private childcare model is being heavily subsidised by the State, but even with these subsidies it is simply not working. Discovery Montessori in Castleknock has written to TDs, for example, in my area. It is the latest childcare provider saying that the core funding model cannot work for it. The fee freezes mean that it would not be able to meet its costs in wages, utilities, insurance, etc. I do not have a way of checking out all of those claims, but what I will say is that there is no way we can provide quality childcare with decent pay under the private model. The Minister used to be Minister for education. We need preschool to be provided in the same way that primary and secondary are, underpinned by the State, with childcare workers trained by the State and given decent pay and conditions to attract them into the profession. We know it is an horrifically unstable profession and very badly paid - female-centred, as usual. I know there is a consultation but the Minister needs to look at that long-term strategy.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:06+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23