The Barometer, which seeks to track public attitudes to early years care and education, is based on a nationwide RedC Research poll of 1,004 adults conducted between 18 and 25 January 2018. For each statement participants were asked for their level of agreement.

View the full Childcare Barometer here >>

Read our press release on the Childcare Barometer here >>

Key Findings

75% of respondents felt the education of children under 5 is just as important as the education of children over 5:

69% felt that parents should be financially supported to stay at home with their child for the first year of the child’s life:

65% felt childcare should, similarly to primary education, be available free to all children:

57% felt that parents should only pay for childcare in line with their overall income:

Only 23% felt that parents should be fully responsible for the cost of childcare:

The Early Childhood Ireland-RedC poll also found strong levels of support for greater recognition of and pay for sector staff.

56% of respondents felt that staff working in childcare centres are qualified professionals like teachers, nurses, and others:

Only 24% of respondents felt that the average wage paid to childcare staff, which in 2016/17 amounted to around €11.93, reflected the value of that work: