ALL THIS MONTH The Good Information Project has been focusing on gender equality, examining both the barriers facing women in Irish society and potential solutions. 

In recent polling by The Good Information Project/Ireland Thinks, more than half of respondents said universal State-funded childcare should be a priority to achieve in terms of gender equality. 

The topic was also discussed in our Open Newsroom event this week. MEP Frances Fitzgerald acknowledged how difficult it is for parents to combine work and family life. 

“Ireland has made great strides in this area, but actually the only solution is to put far more money into it and to make it a universal service, accessible to all,” she said.

Hannah Deasy, Communications Director at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), suggested an expansion of the community childcare model could improve the situation for parents. 

Our panelists have put forward a number of potential solutions – but should the State go even further than that?

We want to know what you think: Should there be a network of State-run childcare centres?

 This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work is the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.