Vacant State-owned buildings could be used as childcare facilities in FG plan
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Fine Gael is to propose converting vacant State-owned buildings into childcare facilities, as it prepares its childcare policy ahead of the upcoming general election.
The party is due to include the proposal as part of its manifesto, as all parties conclude the work ahead of the election now widely expected to be called next Thursday for November 29.
The policy will include looking at proposed — but unused — International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres. It is believed that the party has a list of up to 100 buildings that could potentially be used.
The move to propose converting existing buildings into childcare facilities comes amid the party’s proposal for a public childcare model, first proposed by Taoiseach Simon Harris in early September.
One senior Fine Gael source said that this was the key difference between their childcare policy and Sinn Féin’s — that they intended to use State resources to establish new childcare facilities.
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Mr Harris has previously said that he wants to cap the cost of childcare at €200 per month for each child, adding that he would provide a roadmap to do so in the first 100 days of office if returned to Government.
He first called for a publicly-funded childcare sector during the Fine Gael think-in, saying that he wanted the next Government to begin the process of establishing a “publicly funded, affordable early childhood education and childcare model”.
Fine Gael has faced criticism from Sinn Féin over the proposals, with their childcare spokesperson Claire Kerrane describing it as a “carbon copy” of Sinn Féin's policy of a €10-per-day cap.
The Sinn Féin proposal would see a further €345m in exchequer funding allocated to childcare, which it has said would cut the cost of childcare from the estimated €800 per month per child to €200 per month.
Mr Harris has also indicated that he would like to see the State build childcare facilities, particularly seeing them constructed alongside schools.
However, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has pushed back on some of Mr Harris’s proposals, dubbing them as “half-baked” at his own party’s think-in last month.
Mr Martin raised concerns about childcare providers potentially “taking flight” if politicians throw out ideas “without any substance behind them”.
Mr Harris is now expected to formally seek President Michael D Higgins to dissolve the Dáil next Thursday, following the passage of the Finance Bill.
Meanwhile, the Social Democrats on Wednesday announced a new policy for online safety, calling for stronger regulation of artificial intelligence (AI).
In particular, the party called for more attention to be paid to the role played by large technology firms in AI development.
Party TD Gary Gannon and candidate Sinéad Gibney launched the policy, calling for new AI regulators to be established.
Mr Gannon said that people should be concerned about the impact of AI on the next general election, describing it as a “space where we need to be observant”.
He said that the “technology increases are drastic” compared to the 2020 election, saying that it was not possible to know where AI could be in five years’ time.
The party is also calling for the mandate of Coimisiún na Meán to be expanded, to allow for content to be taken from online platforms if it constitutes either disinformation or misinformation.