Clare's Labour TD is insisting that his party's new proposal on childcare is affordable.
Michael McNamara's commenting on Labour's committment to provide childcare service for 2 euro an hour if re-elected.
The Labour Party is targeting working parents by promising the state subsidised scheme which would apply to children aged between nine months and 12 years.
It's claimed the scheme would cost parents around 80 euro a week for one child – or 320 euro a month – compared to the current costs of around a thousand euro a month in some parts of the country.
That would equate to a total cost of around 500 million euro per year to the taxpayer.
Labour representatives are defending the estimated cost of the plan.
Early Childhood Ireland has today said the proposals are "astonishing".
Spokesperson Teresa Heeney thinks the true cost could be a lot higher.
However, Clare TD Michael McNamara insists it is affordable.
He claims that, with more people returning to work, there will be more money available through taxation
