“We can't simply rely on community,” Mayo TD calls for major childcare package in Budget 2027

Mayo TD and Chair of the Children and Equality Committee Keira Keogh has called for a significant childcare package in Budget 2027, warning that reducing fees for parents must go hand-in-hand with increased childcare capacity.

Deputy Keogh raised the issue directly with Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley in the Dáil, highlighting the particular challenges facing families in rural communities.

The Fine Gael TD said further investment in the National Childcare Scheme was important, including progress towards the Government’s commitment to reduce parental childcare costs to a maximum of €200 per month.

However, subsidies would be of limited benefit to parents who cannot find a childcare place or whose childminder is not registered to participate in the scheme.

“The most recent information available to me is that we have just one registered private childminder in the whole of Mayo,” Deputy Keogh said.

She welcomed increased participation in the pre-registration course for childminders, but said this had not yet translated into the level of registrations required, with the mandatory registration deadline approaching for September 2027.

Deputy Keogh said the Government should engage directly with childminders who may have concerns about registration, including through confidential or anonymous engagement.

“We need to encourage people into registered childminding, but equally importantly, we cannot inadvertently drive experienced childminders out of the sector at a time when families are already struggling to find places,” she said.

The Mayo TD also raised concerns about how the Government’s State-led childcare model will operate in rural Ireland. The State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme is intended to strengthen accessibility, affordability and quality in the sector.

Deputy Keogh said community and voluntary boards could play an important role but warned that rural communities often rely on the same small group of volunteers to run local organisations and services.

“The reality in rural Mayo is that very often the same people are already volunteering on the board of the local childcare service, the GAA club, the community centre and other organisations,” she said.

She called for a model that recognises the challenges facing rural areas and does not place additional responsibilities on a small number of volunteers.

Deputy Keogh said workforce pressures must also be central to Budget 2027 discussions, including pay, recruitment and retention across the childcare sector.

“We cannot talk seriously about expanding childcare without talking about the people delivering it,” she said. “Investment in places has to be accompanied by investment in the workforce needed to staff them.”

The Government has previously said its childcare plans are aimed at improving affordability, increasing the supply of places and supporting wages, working conditions and professional development within the sector.

“For families in Mayo, we need all of those things to move together,” Deputy Keogh said. “Affordable childcare only works when there is also capacity, whether that’s with a registered childminder, a community provider, or a private provider.”