Matt Carthy: Childcare crisis is a government failure
Matt Carthy outlines how rising childcare costs and limited places are blocking families from working and from starting families, and calls the failure a government responsibility. He contrasts broken promises from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with Sinn Féin's roadmap to cut costs, expand capacity and support providers.
Key message
Matt Carthy says childcare has become more than a challenge for many families - it is a barrier to having children, returning to work or making ends meet. He highlights that parents still pay over €800 a month per child while facing rising housing, energy and commuting costs.
Local impact and evidence
Carthy points to conditions in his constituency: over half of services in Cavan and almost two thirds in Monaghan have waiting lists. He uses these figures to illustrate the gap between costs and availability that families experience across Ireland.
Promises, policy and solutions
He criticises the absence of delivery on the promised €200 monthly cap from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and sets out Sinn Féin's approach: reduce childcare costs, expand capacity, reform funding, improve pay to retain staff and extend paid parental leave. He cites Clare Curran's implementation proposals as the practical route forward and urges immediate action rather than further broken promises.
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Go raibh maith agat Cathaoirleacht, Coramh lannaí ró cosaisach agus níl daith an athanna an. For far too many families, childcare is no longer just a challenge, it's a barrier to having children, returning to work or simply making ends meet. I'm aware of couples who have delayed starting a family because of the pressures brought about because of combined costs of childcare and housing. That's not their failure, that's a failure of government. This is one of the wealthiest states in Europe. There's no excuse for parents still paying over €800 a month per child for childcare, while also facing soaring housing, energy and commuting costs. In my constituency, in Cavan, over half of childcare services have waiting lists, while in Monaghan, almost two thirds have. That tells its own stories. Families are paying too much and yet still cannot get a place. Before the last general election, Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael promised parents they'd deliver €200 a month maximum childcare bills. That promise has disappeared without any plan to deliver it. On the other hand, Sinn Féin has a credible roadmap. Reduce childcare costs, expand capacity, improve paying conditions so providers can recruit and retain staff, reform the funding model and properly support childcare. Clare Curran has set out how these policies can be implemented and we need to take that advice. We need to give parents a real choice. Some want to return to work quickly, others want more time at home with their babies. Extending paid parental leave with recognising that caring for our youngest children is valuable work that deserves the support of the state. Families in Cavan, in Monaghan and right across Ireland deserve action on childcare, not more broken promises.
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