Introduction
People Before Profit recognises the importance of children’s early care, education and development. We are also fully committed to an equality agenda that provides women with the option to return to work after having children. These values underpin our policy on Early Childhood Care and Education, which advocates children having access to early care, education and after-school services as a fundamental human right. All children have the right to education from birth under Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is linked to the maximum development of their capacities under Article 6 (2) of the same Convention. It is crucial that any policy addressing the needs of children should place the rights of children and their families at the forefront, rather than pursuing narrow economic considerations. At the very least, this means providing parents with proper subsidies to private facilities, but People Before Profit ultimately wants to move to a publicly funded National Childcare System.
At present, early childhood education and care services are generally delivered outside the formal education system, by a wide range of private, community and voluntary interests that include crèches, nurseries, pre-schools, playgroups and day-care services. Government investment in these services comes largely from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, but is radically insufficient.
Ireland has a young and changing population. A European Commission Report in 2014 found that 9.6% of Ireland’s population is under 6 years compared with a European average of 6.3%. Moreover, Ireland is becoming increasingly culturally and religiously diverse, with about 12% of the population having a non-Irish background. Almost 40% of four-year-olds and nearly all five-year-olds are enrolled in infant classes in primary schools (sometimes called national schools). But this care is too sporadic and too expensive. According to the OECD (2014) childcare costs account for almost 40% of the net income of the average wage, the highest cost of any of the 34 member states. This can be compared to the OECD average of 12% of net income. The average cost of fulltime childcare can vary between €800-€1200 a month depending on location. This has to end. To give children the care they deserve People Before Profit proposes the following interventions.