'Market has failed to deliver on Care'
1 Jun 2006
New Infrastructure of Care an urgent priority
With childcare costs rising at five times the rate of inflation, Congress today (June 1) said it was clear that a "market-based solution to the issue of care was unworkable."
Congress has reiterated its demand that the issue of care - childcare, elder care, disabled care -be treated as a major policy priority with the establishment of a "national infrastructure of care."
New figures from the Central Statistics' Office (CSO) show average national childcare costs at €120 per week, a rise of 23 percent in just two years. For working parents requiring 40 hours of paid childcare, the cost rises to an astronomical €184 per week - or almost €800 per month.
Indeed, the CSO has conceded that these figures may underestimate the true cost, while costs in Dublin are mush higher than the national average.
"The market has failed to deliver on care," said Congress General Secretary, David Begg. "In fact, all it has delivered are higher prices, poor access and uneven quality. Childcare is fast becoming a luxury for working people."
Mr Begg said care had to be approached in a strategic and holistic fashion with the creation of a national 'infrastructure of care' now an urgent priority. In policy terms, care must assume the status of a 'public good' similar to that enjoyed by education.
The consequences of failing to do so will be severe and do long-term social and economic damage, he said.
Faced with such costs people may either leave the workforce or choose to limit the size of their families, leaving the future Irish economy wholly dependent on migrant workers to meet labour supply.
Equally, demographic trends made investment in elder care a necessity, while continued investment in disabled care was also urgently required.
"It makes eminent financial and social sense to deal with these issues collectively, putting in place a national infrastructure in place now before it is too late."
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