I was alarmed when I read recent media reports on the child care proposals of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, for inclusion in the upcoming budget. No regard seems to be given to families in the squeezed middle bracket who have borne the majority of tax increases and public service cuts in the past five years. When I refer to the squeezed middle, I refer to those earning between €33,000 and €70,000 per annum. These families pay high housing costs, on top of which they pay astronomical child care costs. One parent is often forced out of the workforce because of child care costs and nine times out of ten that parent is the mother. These child care costs continue to act as a barrier to re-entry to the workforce, even after the children have reached schoolgoing age, and this leads to mothers being squeezed out of the workforce. Fianna Fáil has put forward a progressive tax credit proposal which would put money back into the pockets of squeezed middle-income earners. That is the least we can do. Yesterday, I met an Australian MP who was appalled when I explained that families here were not assisted with the cost of child care. In Australia 50% of the cost of child care is covered for families who earn under $100,000 a year.

I urge the Minister to also fund the early child care sector better. This should be taken in tandem with any proposal introduced in the budget. The early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme is chronically underfunded and it is unsustainable as we move forward. We need to start prioritising children and families.