The Cabinet has discussed a new report which calls for a massive overhaul of childcare.

The inter-departmental review recommends extending paid parental leave to one year - with parents able to split the second six months between them.

It also calls for subventions to private creches, and an extension of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) provision to children aged three and three-and-a-half until the point when they begin primary school.

The report proposes 'a new, single subsidy scheme for pre-school and school-going children with simplified eligibility based on income'.

Children's Minister James Reilly says the Government will consider the proposals - and he hopes to make a start on them in the next Budget.

Doubling the length of paternal leave would cost the State €273 million euro over the extra six months - while the whole recommended package would cost more half a billion euro.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny says not all of the measures can be introduced:

June Tinsley, Head of Advocacy with Barnardos, said, "while we welcome the overall vision and direction of this framework, we remain cautious in our commendation as sadly, too often this Government has produced impressive recommendations only to falter in the implementation.

"This issue is far too important to get wrong. With child poverty rates sky high there is a moral obligation on the Government to ensure all families can benefit from childcare services that do not push children and families into deeper poverty," she added.

Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, also welcomed the recommendations, but says "there have been many reports providing numerous proposals on childcare in recent years. We need to see decisive action taken in Budget 2016 that leads to the provision of affordable childcare for all parents."