Children should not grow up in a world where their parents have to turn to the black economy for child care, the actress Pauline McLynn told a crowd of 800 people in Dublin on Saturday. She was speaking at a rally organised by the National Women's Council of Ireland to demand State-sponsored child care.
Under the slogan "Every Day Is Mother's Day", several organisations marched from Parnell Square to outside the Dail.
Ms Noreen Byrne, chairwoman of the NWCI, said: "Child care is in crisis. The lack of affordable, quality child care is the single biggest obstacle for women in accessing education and training or in being in a position to take up paid employment."
One of the fathers on the march, Mr Kieran McKeown, carried a placard saying "Every Day Is Mothers' and Fathers' Day".
Ms Maria Macken, of the Shanty Project in west Tallaght, said Ireland had the lowest employment rate for mothers of children under 10, at 30 per cent compared with an EU average of 50 per cent.
She said disadvantaged women could not improve their situation by taking up employment, as they would have to pay at least £60 a week per child for care.
Besides free or subsidised child care for families living in poverty, Ms Byrne called for tax relief for parents.
The Minister of State for Tourism and Trade, Mr Chris Flood, received the council's report and said he recognised the "real contribution child care can make to alleviating disadvantage".
Also present were five TDs, Mrs Nora Owen, Ms Mary Hanafin, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, Ms Liz McManus and Senator Mary Henry.
Ms Edith Wynn, a mother, said she was on the march because "our children are the most important thing we have".
