Taoiseach hints childcare focus in Budget will be on increasing places rather than cutting costs
Asked by reporters in Japan, where the Taoiseach is this week for a trade mission, if there will be reductions to the cost of childcare in this year's Budget, the Taoiseach was coy in his response.
Cutting the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child was a core election promise by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. It is now a pledge in the Programme for Government to deliver the reduction over the lifetime of this government.
'I think we want to continue to make progress on childcare, but we have a whole range of issues now that we have to make progress on,' the Taoiseach said, adding that there will be negotiations leading into this year's Budget in October.
'We can't do everything at once, so we will endeavor to prioritise and continue the progress we've made in recent years. We've made very good progress in childcare, but we need more places, so the access issue and the number of places is also important, as well as affordability.'
Advertisement
Martin made the point that recent research has pointed to the need to improve the number of available childcare places.
'That speaks to the growth of population and the pressures on childcare and health services, and education,' he said.
He added that the government will be prioritising the transformation of Ireland's infrastructure in the Budget.
Asked if the government will be prioritising increasing childcare places over reducing costs this year, the Taoiseach said this will be a decision for Minister for Children Norma Foley, who will approach government with her priorities ahead of October's Budget.
'All Programme for Government commitments will be followed through. So that's the basic point,' he said.
With reporting from Christina Finn in Japan
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
'They're still rooted in the last war': Taoiseach says banks are not lending enough to Irish builders
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said the banks are 'still rooted in the last war' and said he has called on them to lend more to Irish builders to boost housing supply. Speaking to The Journal this week in Japan, where the Taoiseach visited Tokyo, Osaka and Hiroshima, the Taoiseach said the 'psychology' of the Irish banks 'needs to change'. Advertisement Martin said he has spoken to the Banking Federation of Ireland about the matter, stating he told them banks should be lending more to Irish builders and developers. The Business Post reported earlier this year that there had been a fall-off in lending this year to developers by the two main pillar banks, AIB and Bank of Ireland. While Bank of Ireland's loans to developers increased from €540 million to €608 million, the value of development loans issued by AIB for residential and commercial building fell from €992 million in 2023 to €809 million last year, the newspaper reported. The Central Bank has also stated the banks are well capitalised and can lend out more. Related Reads Savings scheme for first-time-buyers under consideration by government It is believed that such a level of lending is deemed to be significantly lower than what is required to meet housing demand. 'The cost of financing is a problem and it needs to lend more into the domestic construction industry, it's not lending enough, and much of its lending is towards schemes that have a state backing already in terms of affordable housing,' said Martin. 'Given the huge demand for housing in the market, to me, they're still rooted in the last war and the psychology needs to change,' he added. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on Ireland and Japan: a deepening relationship
The Taoiseach's visit to Japan last week, where he opened Ireland House Tokyo and visited the Irish pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, reflects that country's growing importance as a trade partner and a source of inward investment. But Micheál Martin's meeting with Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday highlighted the growing prominence of geopolitical and security issues in the bilateral relationship. At a cost of more than € 21 million, Ireland House Tokyo is the most expensive capital project the State has ever undertaken outside the country. But bilateral trade between Ireland and Japan is worth more than € 21 billion a year and its volume has doubled over the past decade. The protectionist mood generated by Donald Trump will make it politically difficult for American companies to announce major new investments overseas, including in Ireland. This makes Japan's investment in technology, life sciences, financial services, engineering and other industries in Ireland all the more important. Enterprise Ireland represents more than 300 Irish companies in Japan and the country is the biggest market in Asia after China for Irish food and drink. The Taoiseach's visit followed trips to Japan in recent weeks by Enterprise Minister Peter Burke and Agriculture Minister Martin Haydon, reflecting its important as a market for Irish exporters. READ MORE As Japanese investment in Ireland has increased, its government has taken a closer look at the security of the infrastructure on which it depends. Ishiba questioned the Taoiseach closely on what steps the Government was taking to protect the subsea cables off the Irish coast which are used to transmit data. The Japanese prime minister was concerned about the activities of Russian trawlers close to the cables and to the interconnector between Britain and Ireland. The Taoiseach cited Ireland's arrangements with organisations like Nato and Pesco as evidence that the Government was taking action to protect essential offshore infrastructure but Japan's concerns will be shared by other trading partners. Japan's population is shrinking by 800,000 every year and Ireland's growing population is a major attraction for Japanese investors. Japanese regulations mean Ireland's tax regime is less important for their companies than access to talent from across Europe and around the world. The Taoiseach acknowledged that anti-immigration rhetoric was in danger of drowning out the truth that Ireland's growing population and diverse, international labour force are economic strengths. It is essential that the Government continues to make that case to the public at home as persuasively as the IDA makes it to Japanese investors.
The Journal
5 hours ago
- The Journal
Sinn Féin TD's case against 'Super Junior' ministers at Cabinet at the High Court tomorrow
SINN FÉIN TD Pa Daly's case against the Taoiseach regarding the appointment of the controversial 'Super Junior' Ministers will go to full hearing tomorrow morning at the High Court. In February , the case appeared before court for a hearing. Daly is asking the court to declare that the attendance of the super juniors at government meetings is unconstitutional . The super junior ministers appointed include Fine Gael's Hildegarde Naughton, as well as Independents Sean Canney and Noel Grealish. Fianna Fáil's chief whip Mary Butler is also a minister of state attending Cabinet. Advertisement Attorney General Rossa Fanning represented all of the respondents – himself, the Taoiseach and the Government – in the hearing in court in February . Speaking today, Daly said that the case challenges what he believes 'is a deeply problematic and unconstitutional practice that has taken root in recent decades – the attendance and participation of so-called 'Super Junior' Ministers at meetings of the Government'. He said that the case was as a constitutional challenge aimed at protecting the integrity of Ireland's system of government – 'which Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry-Led Independents are playing fast and loose'. There is a constitutional limit of 15 members of Cabinet. Daly is arguing that the four super junior ministers who also sit at Cabinet is unconstitutional. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and TD Pearse Doherty are expected to speak to the media outside the High Court tomorrow morning before the hearing begins. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
