“The Time to Act is Now”:  Alliance of over 40 Organisations calls for 300 million childcare package

Published: Thursday, September 25, 2025

Together for Public, the alliance for a public system of early childhood education and care (ECEC) led by the National Women’s Council (NWC), today (Wednesday, 24 September at 10:30am) held a press conference calling on Government to make public childcare a central priority in Budget 2026.

The Alliance, which brings together over 40 organisations, stressed that the Government’s commitment to reducing childcare fees to €200 per month will only be possible if Ireland begins the transition to a public, not for profit childcare system in Budget 2026. Speakers also highlighted the important role a public system of public childcare would play in tackling child poverty.

Ireland ranks among the top three most expensive countries in Europe for childcare, with tens of thousands of children on waiting lists for both early years and after-school care. Families — particularly women — are being locked out of work and society because they cannot secure or afford a place.

Despite childcare being a major issue in last year’s general election, we are still waiting to see significant action from Government to tackle the crisis in the early years sector. Providers continue to leave State schemes, many areas have severe shortages of places, and the work of educators continues to be undervalued and underpaid.

Together for Public is calling for a package of €300 million investment in early years in Budget 2026, including:

• €30 million to begin rolling out publicly-delivered services for 3,000 children, prioritising marginalised and underserved communities.
• Ring-fenced funding for educators’ wages to improve pay and conditions.
• Investment to reduce childcare costs for families, working towards the Government’s €200 monthly fee cap commitment.
• Additional investment in targeted supports such as AIM and Equal Start, to ensure accessibility and inclusion.

This investment is a crucial step in ensuring Ireland meets the UNICEF target of 1% of national income for childcare by 2030.

Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council, said:

“Families are being pushed to the brink and cannot wait any longer for solutions. A transition to a public system of childcare is essential to tackle this ongoing crisis and deliver the high-quality childcare every child deserves.

Affordable, accessible, quality childcare is one of the most effective tools to support women’s equality, strengthen children’s futures and improve pay and working conditions for the mostly female educators. And it is a key way to achieve the Government’s commitment to tackle child poverty.  Budget 2026 is the Government’s opportunity to lay the foundations for a universal, not for profit public childcare system. The time to act is now.”

Louise Bayliss, Head of Social Justice and Policy at St Vincent de Paul added, “With more than 5,000 children living in emergency accommodation and 11 percent of children in one parent households experiencing consistent poverty, compared to a national average of 5 percent, the evidence is clear. Lone parents face structural barriers that make it harder to escape poverty. Affordable and high-quality childcare is essential. It allows parents to work, to study, and to build a better future for their families. A public model of childcare would be transformative for equity, inclusion, and opportunity.”

Avril Green, Chair of SIPTU’s Early Years Union Committee said, “The building blocks for a healthy, happy, and confident adulthood are laid by our Early Years Professionals. But low pay is causing high levels of staff turnover, directly undermining quality for children.

 The State must increase funding for pay in Budget 2026 to address the recruitment and retention crisis. Services, even publicly provided services, cannot meet the need of parents without staff. At the moment, many qualified educators cannot afford to stay in the profession they love.”

Other speakers at the press conference included Minna Murphy, an Early Childhood Education and Care provider with two pre-schools and an after-school based in Cork and Professor Mathias Urban, Director of Early Childhood Research Centre, DCU.