Survey reveals rising cost of childcare in Galway

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The cost of putting kids in childcare is continuing to rise across the country. A new survey from Newstalk reveals what people are paying, and how prices vary from county to county. In Galway, the average montly price for putting a 2-year-old in full time care five days a week stands at between €685 and €715. While in the city, it would set parents back almost €830 a month. More than 130 creches and childcare providers nationwide took part in this survey. It asked respondents for the cost of putting a 2-year old in full-time care, 5 days a week. Dublin came back as the county with the highest costs, with the average bill coming in at 1,047 euro per month – that's an € 84 increase from 5 years ago – when a similar survey was undertaken. Wicklow came in a close second, where putting a child in a creche will cost you just over one thousand euro. Cork is 3rd most expensive with the counties surrounding the capital such as Kildare, Meath and Louth making up the top-5 most expensive. The average national monthly rate is now € 745. That's an increase of € 40 from back in 2013. The county with the lowest costs is Longford with an average monthly charge of € 650.