A local TD has called for more affordable childcare and funding that supports rural as well as urban services. Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice told the Dáil that current regulations have driven childminders out of the sector.
He said there's huge pressure on crèches, where strict staff-to-child ratios and poor financial returns discourage providers from taking very young children. The Independent Ireland TD says demand has surpassed capacity even in the countryside:
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