Scarcity of childcare stirs voters

Childcare has become a major political issue in Ireland in recent weeks after the Fianna Fail-led government suffered two by-election defeats in the greater Dublin area, where it emerged as a major voter concern. This has focused attention on government's failure to stimulate the supply of childcare places to meet the growing demands of working families. A study by the Central Statistics Office found that 40,000 women joined the workforce last year, but 17,600 of them work part-time, many because of the lack of childcare.