Budget's childcare measures hailed
Brian Cowen’s budget – long tipped to deliver on childcare – has satisfied many of the needs faced by working mothers, one businesswoman said today.
Deirdre Mooney, a full-time working mum with two teenage sons welcomed the package as mostly positive.
“I think the idea of allowing people to earn €10,000 without paying tax is excellent,” she said.
“It’s definitely going to encourage people to do it and it’s a thankless task.”
Ms Mooney who is president of south Dublin Chamber of Commerce, also said the increase in paid maternity leave to six months by 2007 was a step in the right direction.
“I only had three months, and it is a wrench to leave them behind.
“It’s better to think you’ll be able to legitimately stay with them.”
But she warned there would be difficulties in recruiting and training thousands of childcare workers to meet demand.
“In relation to how he’s going to get the 17,000 childcare workers, I have no idea how that is going to work.”
She said more older people should be encouraged to take up what she described as the gauntlet of childcare, because they had experience and the necessary skills.
And although she will not benefit from the €1,000 payment for children up to six years old and will get only a small increase in her child allowance, she said she approved of the lump sum plan.
“It’s probably the most equitable way he could have done it.
“The bottom line is everyone physically gets the money and it’s for the child.
“I think that’s really wonderful,” she said.
Overall, Ms Mooney said she believed the Minister for Finance had made a good stab at tackling Ireland’s growing childcare crisis which she said effected a number of her staff, and that she thought the Government was going in the right direction.
Liam Henegehan, a 34-year-old Dublin businessman, was watching the budget with particular interest from his home in Clonskeagh.
He is the father of two six-week-old twins, as well as two young daughters.
“I’d welcome the early childcare supplement of 1,000 euro but the one thing I’d say is that usually in the budget things happen from midnight. This is from mid-2006 so it’s actually only 500 euro next year.”
Mr Heneghan and his wife both work full time jobs and their children are minded by a family member.
He said the €10,000 euro tax allowance for child minders was a practical step in the right direction.
He added that Mr Cowen seemed to have managed to avoid alienating working or non-working parents.
“Obviously the maternity leave helps people who are working and the early childcare supplement helps everybody. The 10K helps people in the home because they can probably take another kid in while they’re minding their own. He’s done a balancing the books thing. It won’t be like the individualisation where one side felt very hard done by.”
However, Mr Heneghan was disappointed there was no assistance in the budget for parents who wanted to send their children to pre-school.
“A good few of my friends have four year olds who are well able for school, so a child could go into kindergarten class at four, there’s no reason why not except money.”
