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NEARLY NINE IN ten businesses in Dublin say the childcare crisis is a challenge to their staff recruitment and retention.
In a survey conducted by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, 88% of businesses said childcare challenges are impacting their operations, with one-fifth saying it is their biggest obstacle.
The survey was conducted from 12 November to 2 December 2024. Around 250 companies in the Dublin region took part.
Workplace flexibility emerged as the most practical and accessible measure for tackling childcare challenges, with 74% offering remote working and 70% offering flexible working arrangements.
Lack of affordable housing was cited by 84% as the greatest threat to Dublin’s competitiveness.
That was followed by traffic congestion and mobility challenges (49%) and planning delays and inadequate infrastructure (46%).
The majority (82%) feel that the new government should prioritise investment in public transport and active travel infrastructure to make Dublin a more sustainable city.
Additionally, 69% said that increasing the frequency of public transport services and subsidising costs would help make the city more sustainable.
Reacting to the survey findings, Dublin Chamber’s public affairs executive Mia Finnegan said that “looking at childcare costs as a share of average wages, Ireland ranks the second highest in the OECD and worst in Europe”.
“The cost of childcare in Dublin is even higher than the national average. It is about 10% higher than Cork, and 50% higher than Limerick.”
Finnegan said the high cost of childcare is “exacerbated” by the “simple lack of childcare places in Dublin, which has failed to meet the needs of its rapidly growing population”.
“While recent budgets have reduced costs for many parents, Ireland’s childcare system remains fragmented and unsustainable, placing immense strain on family finances and limiting workforce participation.”
She called for the next Programme for Government to introduce to public model of childcare provision.
“We believe that a public model of childcare should be prioritised in the next Programme for Government. Moving to a public model will be critical for ensuring a steady supply of affordable, quality childcare and building a more sustainable and diverse labour market,” she said.
“Employers across Dublin are increasingly adapting their workplace polices to address childcare-related constraints. They recognise the need for greater flexibility in working schedules to not only attract, but retain talent, particularly when it comes to working parents navigating childcare constraints.
“Flexible and remote working has provided much-needed short-term relief to parents, enabling them to better balance work and family life. However, these measures are not a panacea for the wider issue. A long-term, strategic solution is needed to support families and foster a more equitable and sustainable business environment.”
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Atleast we can be 100% sure that nothing will change for atleast another 5 years. Now that stability!
Speaking on behalf of granparents hopefully something can be done soon.We cannot carry out this free service indefinetly.
@Willie Marty: certainly speaking for yourself anyway, nobody forcing you to spend a bit of time with grandchildren, personally I love my couple days with mine
@Enoch Kochwomble: Mary linton-both wrong as I have 7 grankids and love each of them very much.If ye read my post properly ye wouldnt be jumping to yere ridiculous conclusions.
@Mary Linton: ridicu
@Willie Marty: no ‘jumping to conclusions’…. You stated you’re providing some kind of “free service”….. If taking care of your grandchildren is a ‘service’ , an inconvenience or something burdensome simply DON’T do it. Personally, I find it pleasurable, rewarding, & really look forward to my two days a week with little ones
@Mary Linton: wrong again.I do it 5 days a week and i love it I was referring to the longevity of it.Hopefully my health will hold up for as long as possible.
@Mary Linton: Sounds like you are jumping to conclusions. It’s great you have your grandkids 2 days a week but I would imagine having them 5 days a week can be very taxing. My in-laws love all their grandkids. But at 71 and 73 nobody could expect them to run around after a toddler for 5 days a week.
@Willie Marty: you are so right. We grandparents should pull together and stand up for more acknowledgement for our voluntary work.
@Willie Marty: I think most sensible people knew what you meant Willie. I’ve no doubt you love spending time with your grandkids but a return to almost full time parenting later on is a huge ask. Kids are demanding, tiring and a lot of responsibility no matter how much you love them and how many good times you have in between all the work!
@Mary Linton: good for you. But how many grandparents have to care for their grandchildren, because the government fails to do it, and because their parents can’t efford the costs of childcare? Grandchildren are a godsend and I love mine to bits, but it is not right, that our society rely on us for taking over – without ever being acknowledged. The same is for looking after the elderly too.
@Mary Linton: your very judgey there this morning mary…have a coffee….imagine you had to mind your beloved grandkids 5 days a week then you mite moan a bit..
@Mary Linton: still, you don’t get the point. It’s not about having fun with your grandchildren, it’s about the affordability of childcare. People cannot afford it because the high costs of living – they are lucky to have grandparents to do it for free and acknowledgement. The society expect us to do it, as they expect from (mostly)women to look after their older parents for the same reasons.
Even though any assistance for childcare would be too late for me by the time they bring it in, government need to seriously rethink how to assist workers with it, it should be limited to the first 3 children only (apply this to child benefit too), but the assistance should be much more worthwhile for both the parent and the creche workers, we shouldn’t be the worst in EU or even close with the budget surplus we have these days
@Adam J: “limited to the first 3 children only” …… Is it difficult being God? That “one child” policy didn’t work out well in China either
@Mary Linton: Well actually that would be a 3 child policy……
@Mary Linton: That’s why I said 3 children, not difficult to comprehend
@Adam J: I think every worker should pay an extra 1000 Euro a year in tax to pay for Childcare for other people children
You can get very affordable childcare if you’ve never worked a day in your life
In fact families living long-term off social welfare have more kids on average than those where the couple both have jobs
Our department of “social protection” still has a mindset that we are in the 1980s with high unemployment, and anyone with a job is privileged
They need to move forward about 40 years
@Gerry Kelly: Idiocracy in action. Intentional lowering of the IQ of the nation.
@Gerry Kelly: Yes it’s crazy. The laziest people don’t even take care of their own kids. While working parents are 500 to 1000€ each month for the same service.
@Gerry Kelly: sure somebody has to come up with this. 1. you shouldn’t brush all with the same brush. 2. Ireland has a poverty problem that the government don’t want us to see, thus giving us breadcrumps and blaming the wrong people for their failures. Divide and rule – already the old Romans knew that.
This system of private care for people (childcare, schools, nursery homes, hospitals, etc) is just not working. It should not be possible to make profit in these areas. In other European Countries, where this is the case, it works well. Caring for the vulnerable should be not for profit. But this requieres a complete different way of thinking.
@Karin Ahlers: are you seriously saying that all childcare should be provided for free? Why should all of society pay for your kids? You have them you pay for them. Simple
@Caroline O Toole: I didn’t say that. I.e. in Germany childcare is funded 1/3 by the government, 1/3 by the ‘Traeger’, 1/3 by the parents – ideally. In reality the government pays the most, parents pay the least. Creches are not allowed to make profit – if they do, they will loose that money in funding in the next year. And yes: I am for free childcare (or education for that matter). Children are our future and should get the best possible support from all of us.
They needed a survey to realise that
@Joe Beirne: So think alternatives: big employers could have on-site creches like they do in other countries, or parents could have live-in nannies or au pairs. Schools could open up pre-school rooms for siblings of enrolled pupils …
Meanwhile 90% of childcare staff is in brackets of 13.50 minimum wage to 15 per hour, while the bosses from head offices shine in their fancy and new cars.
Dublin Dublin Dublin
If you can’t afford to love in Dublin there’s a whole lot of the country outside the Pale. Small rural communities dying from a lack of population
@FoxyBoiiYT: I honestly thought the establishment of remote workers was going to be a great thing for rural communities, no need for everyone to live here in Dublin, my wife’s hometown in the country was booming just after covid, but it’s dying off again now for some reason
@Adam J: companies bringing people back to office
Tough to live in Dublin – poor quality of life compared to rest of country
@D: I get what you mean to an extent. There’s definitely a whole other side of life to be enjoyed living somewhere with more walks, nature, cleaner air and close communities. I guess the upside of Dublin is that city buzz and being so close to all the gigs and shows and exhibs that Dublin is spoiled for. If you like your live music for example it’s pretty great. It’s hard to be booking hotels every time you want to get to a gig for example. But I get that this probably gets filed under luxury for many, especially when things like buying a home and having kids come into the equation.
So it is housing, child care etc. Couldn’t possibly be low wages?
have your say