A Louth mother of three has said that the budget will help amid inflated grocery and high childcare prices, adding that the measures were “no more or less than anyone expected”.
Eleanor Clerkin said that the total cost of childcare for her three children – aged nine, six and four – is €1,000 a month.
“We’ve three kids in full-time childcare, in breakfast club or afterschool, and we’re paying more for that than we are on our mortgage,” she said.
She said last year’s 25% reduction in fees for people using providers under the National Childcare Scheme did help, and was the major measure that she was hoping to help her next year.
She welcomed the further 25% reduction announced on Tuesday as “positive”, despite the delayed start date.
She said: “It’s unfortunate that the National Childcare Scheme one isn’t until next September… My youngest will be out of preschool by then.
“You’ve wasted nine months of the year where you could have had it in your pocket. I’m still going to get it next September, I still will have three of them within the childcare scheme, but look, it is what it is.
“I don’t understand why they’re waiting so long to implement it.”
She also welcomed a double payment of the 140-euro Child Benefit this winter.
She said: “I suppose it would have been nice to see Child Benefit go up a wee bit with the cost of living, but coming up to Christmas the double Child Benefit will be a big help.”
She said that the three €150 energy credits are “better than nothing”, but said they do not help for very long as grocery prices and bills remain high for people.
She said: “That’s a one-off. It’s nice, but they don’t help for very long.”
She added: “(The Budget) is no more than anyone was expected, I don’t think it’s any less either.
“I think it’s pretty much what people were expecting. I don’t think they’ve gone above and beyond or anything.
“But look it’ll definitely help us. I’m not going to turn our nose up at it.”
Asked whether the lack of affordable childcare and supports from Government made it difficult for women to return to work, she said: “I think so.
“It’s stressful too. There’s people who can’t go back who want to go back, there are stay-at-home dads too, and it can be a hard decision to go back to work anyway.”
