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An investment for the future

  • 28-07-2010 1:18pm
    #1
    daithicarr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 425 ✭✭


    Ireland is a fairly underpopulated country in comparison to our European neighbours, and although currently experiencing a baby boom the over all fertility rates are dropping which will eventually lead to a greying population like Europe's and the problems associated with that. a young and growing population would be of great benefit to Ireland especially when there are a sizable number of people opposed to immigration being used as a answer to increase work force numbers.

    However many people I have personally spoken with and frequent references in the media indicate that childcare provision is a serious impediment to having more children.

    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/childcare-costs-hit-15600-74310.html

    would it not be incredibly beneficial to have a state subsidised national childcare system .
    Granted it would be hard to implement right now, but when things stabilise it would help increase female participation in the work force and allow many single mothers go back to work, and most likely result in an increase in the number of children born and future tax payers and citizens for the state.


Comments

  • #2
    whatawaster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,910 ✭✭✭✭whatawaster


    daithicarr wrote: »
    Ireland is a fairly underpopulated country in comparison to our European neighbours, and although currently experiencing a baby boom the over all fertility rates are dropping which will eventually lead to a greying population like Europe's and the problems associated with that. a young and growing population would be of great benefit to Ireland especially when there are a sizable number of people opposed to immigration being used as a answer to increase work force numbers.

    However many people I have personally spoken with and frequent references in the media indicate that childcare provision is a serious impediment to having more children.

    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/childcare-costs-hit-15600-74310.html

    would it not be incredibly beneficial to have a state subsidised national childcare system .
    Granted it would be hard to implement right now, but when things stabilise it would help increase female participation in the work force and allow many single mothers go back to work, and most likely result in an increase in the number of children born and future tax payers and citizens for the state.

    I'm not sure that we'll have the capacity for increased female participation in the workplace

    In principle, i'd be in favour of something like this for families up to a certain income.

    In Dublin in particular, it's so expensive to have your kids in childcare. Though i'd imagine in the next few years as land prices come down it will become cheaper to provide these services.


  • #3
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    It's an area to be looked alright and may need more funding. Something to consider over the next few years though not immediately
    Good idea for a thread OP

    But 300 private creches there would have to be a strong focus on value for money.

    My concern would be if the government maybe gave parents a voucher to spend on creche fees, all creches would hike their prices to match this amount.
    This was reported as happening before
    They want the government to provide a capitation fee of €2,500 for all children in HSE-approved childcare up to the age of six, and further supports for providers facing extra costs to comply with new regulations.

    And would it happen again if that 2,500 was introduced?

    Could the State do a better job of running the creches and employing their own staff instead of subsidizing private creches which are run for a profit?
    "Eighty five percent of staff in creches earn less than the minimum wage in spite of their high level of qualification,"

    Well somebody is making money but it's not the carers


  • #4
    daithicarr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 425 ✭✭daithicarr


    where did you get the quote on the 85% earning less than minimum wage, i have heard that they earned very small amounts in relations to the fee's payed, i wonder what other over heads there are.

    maybe a state system would be a solution , but i would be worried about the normal inefficenys and archaic work practices often associated with public sector bodies.

    surely the goverment could regulate fee's and staff wages?


  • #5
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    daithicarr wrote: »
    would it not be incredibly beneficial to have a state subsidised national childcare system .

    And who's going to pay for it ?

    It's bad enough at the moment with children's allowance, etc, where people who don't have kids have to pay for those who do.

    Mind you, given that in so-called "deprived" areas it's often enough that (a) no-one "cares for" the children and (b) a lot of the cash is spend in other ways, maybe a solution would be to kill off the allowances and provide the above.

    That said, the fact remains that if you choose to have kids, it's up to you to look after them; childcare isn't (or shouldn't be) a full-time method of letting parents off the hook so that they can continue as before.


  • #6
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    daithicarr wrote: »
    where did you get the quote on the 85% earning less than minimum wage,

    From the article linked by the OP :)


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  • #7
    daithicarr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 425 ✭✭daithicarr


    duh :D


  • #8
    CerebralCortex
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,809 ✭✭✭CerebralCortex


    daithicarr wrote: »
    Ireland is a fairly underpopulated country in comparison to our European neighbours, and although currently experiencing a baby boom the over all fertility rates are dropping which will eventually lead to a greying population like Europe's and the problems associated with that. a young and growing population would be of great benefit to Ireland especially when there are a sizable number of people opposed to immigration being used as a answer to increase work force numbers.

    However many people I have personally spoken with and frequent references in the media indicate that childcare provision is a serious impediment to having more children.

    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/childcare-costs-hit-15600-74310.html

    would it not be incredibly beneficial to have a state subsidised national childcare system .
    Granted it would be hard to implement right now, but when things stabilise it would help increase female participation in the work force and allow many single mothers go back to work, and most likely result in an increase in the number of children born and future tax payers and citizens for the state.

    I know I'm going to be the only one to say this but the elephant in the room is aging. Instead of worrying about "replacing" people with younger ones, which through my own rationalisations I find to be brutally unfair on both parties, why not invest in anti-aging research as well. Thusly people will have more choices making for a better society.


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