Summer Holiday Changes: Consultation Needed – McEntee
Minister McEntee Addresses Summer Childcare Challenges and Higher Education Fees
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Dublin, Ireland – Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has acknowledged the significant childcare challenges faced by families during the summer break, notably in households where both parents work full-time. Speaking to reporters in Clondalkin, west Dublin, she emphasized that any potential changes to summer breaks or holidays would necessitate extensive consultation with schools, teachers, parents, and families.
Maintaining Higher Education Fee Reductions a Priority
The Minister also expressed a strong desire to see the reduction in the student contribution fee for higher education maintained. For the past three years, third-level fees have been lowered to €2,000 as a “once-off” measure to address the cost of living.
Though, Minister for Higher Education James Lawless indicated recently that a previous €1,000 reduction in fees would not continue, following the government’s decision to forgo a cost-of-living package in the 2026 budget.
Commitment to Lower fees
“There’s a very clear commitment in the programme for government that we would continue to reduce it,” Ms. McEntee stated. “As someone who was leading the negotiations from the Fine Gael point of view, that is a very strong commitment that we’ve made, and one that we intend to see through.”
She added that while budget discussions are ongoing, with individual ministers outlining their plans and budgets over the summer and into october, “we’ve made very clear commitments, and it’s somthing that we wont to see continue.”
Balancing Remote Work Autonomy with Employee Needs
Separately, Minister McEntee commented on the evolving landscape of remote working, stressing the importance of both government-level flexibility and structure, alongside autonomy within companies.
Her remarks come as AIB has implemented stricter hybrid working policies, requiring eligible staff to return to branches and offices three days a week on a phased basis, setting a precedent among Irish retail banks.
Company Decisions and Employee Support
“Ultimately, companies do have to make decisions based on what’s right for them, what’s right for the way in which they are working,” Ms. McEntee said. “While at the same time trying to support and recognize and acknowledge that people have families, school, commitments [and] that they have to try to work with them to make sure that everybody benefits from it.”