FG on maternity, paternity leave & pre-school education

[Insider2007]

FG plans will increase maternity leave, introduce paternity leave and put a new focus on pre-school education

Fine Gael Chidcare Spokesperson, David Stanton TD, has described Fianna Fáil's childcare promises today as devoid of details and choc-a-bloc- full of empty promises.

Deputy Stanton said that only a change of priorities and a change of government will tackle the childcare crisis adding that Fine Gael's plans will ease the burden on parents.

"After 5 years of empty promises and sky-rocketing childcare costs, Fianna Fáil?s childcare pledges made on the election stump simply cannot be believed."

"Fathers' rights have been ignored, the increase in the supply of childcare has been minimal, there has been no significant action on pre-school education and those involved in the childminding sector have been denied the recognition and support they need."

"Fianna Fáil have had at lease five years and five Budgets to address these problems and their policies have fallen so far short that any promise they make now is not credible. There needs to be a change in priorities when it comes to childcare and that will only happen with a change of government."

"Fianna Fáil's focus on paid leave in particular has been inadequate, even completely ignoring paternity leave, and Fine Gael in government will change this by:

Introducing 1 weeks paternity leave;
Continuing to increase maternity leave
Increasing by 1 week paid parental leave for either parent to take.

"Other supports we will give to parents will include a review of Labour Law and promotion of family friendly work practices. Fine Gael will also give childminders and other childcare providers the support they need. Just 1,500, or 3.96%, of childminders come under any sort of State recognition and support and there needs to be a new focus on quality assurance in this sector."

"Pre-School Education will be central in any Fine Gael Government and, as laid out in the Party?s 'First Step Forwards' policy document, we will:

Subsidise parents to access pre-school education for their children from independent pre-school providers. This subsidy will cover at least two-thirds of the cost of pre-school education and some parents will be able to access up to 100% subsidy should they qualify.
Move as rapidly as possible towards the situation where pre-school education is provided for 60,000 children per annum.
Establish a Register of Pre-School Providers.
Hugely expand State-provided pre-school education

"Fianna Fáil's detail-light plan will not address the problems in childcare, only a change of government will do that."

[pie]

I can only speak on the pre-school ed here.I receive 40 euro monthly,or 10 weekly,towards the cost of my sons pre-school (early childcare supplement).At the moment I pay 50 weekly increasing to 55 after mid-term.I look forward to the spring term where i can drop my son off and not hand over a penny.That 55 euro can be used elsewhere! my local montessouri has signed up and made the necessary adjustments to do so ie.5 days instead of 4,an exercise programme to keep the kids moving etc.I am not a finna fail person but believe they have worked this one out.

[SAHM]

I have 3 young children. The first one turning 8 was born when there was 12 weeks maternity leave. She was a difficult baby, 4 weeks of the leave was taken prior to her arrival and she arrived 2 weeks late so that left me with a totally inadequate 6 weeks after the birth. Then it was back to work with me.
The second 2 were born in London. After the arrival of the second one I gave up work as we planned on having no3 hot on it's heels. I didn't feel it was ok to just be arriving back to work after maternity leave and be announcing I was pregnant again.

How stupid of me. I was 3 years out of the workforce and I could not get a job, despite excellent references and a lack of good professionals in the market. If I applied for a job below my level I was over experienced, if I was applied for at my level it was a different reson. Not one company of the 104 jobs I applied for interviewed me.

I am now 5 years at home and I have no intentions of ever returning to work. My children are my priority and the stress of having to work and bring up young children without close family to help is huge.

Childcare is patchy and is very expensive. I volunteer my services at a local nursery and I see the problems every day....which are..
High spec buildings were buit but now they are costing nursery's a fortune to maintain eg lift, boilers, alarms etc.
Nursery's don't necesarily have the knowledge on how to control costs or make up budgets or stick to budgets either.
Nursery's don't know what is happening to their funding from one year to the next, so it makes financial planning any further than the end of their nose difficult.
Water rates are a large cost for most nursery's
Staff must be trained to a high standard (which I totally agree with) but the resulting wages aren't there to remunerate them for their hard work and training.

My biggest gripe is subvention, people are receiving full subvention payments for children and the parents are not working and have no intention of working. The system is being milked.
A system where people get subvention where they are actually in a low paid job or on a FAS course, in education etc and then the nursery gets staff grants would be much better.
Also, a grant should be made available to the nursery's to get there Auditor / Accountant to put a practical financial system in place.

Overall, the childcare in Ireland is a lot better now than it was 5 years ago when I left to go to London. It is also of a higher standard than in London.
What nursery's need now is the help in understanding the cost drivers etc, maintaining there buildings and stability in there funding..

Forgot to say that Parent's should be given the chioice of which parents take leave. Such as the mother for a few weeks and the father for the remaing etc so it can suit there work and financial commitments.