Childcare Insurance

On this week's 'Between the Lines' programme, Linda Mellon, owner of Dolmen Nursery and Montessori School in Co Carlow joined Andrea in studio to discuss the circumstances which led her to close her doors in protest over the increasing costs of insurance and together look at what changes might be needed in order to safeguard childcare businesses from closing their doors in the future. Marian Quinn, Chairperson of the Association of Childhood Professionals was in studio to talk through, among other things,  the different schemes available to childcare providers and we ask if it is feasible to make the sector public in order to better manage the costs faced by business owners and parents alike. Fine Gael Senator, the party Spokesperson for Children and Deputy Leader of the Seanad, Catherine Noone also joined Andrea to talk about the government's role in addressing the issue of increasing childcare cost for providers across the country and look at the positive steps that have been taken by the government to tackle the issue.