A campaign for affordable childcare has been backed today by business and trade union organisations.

Chambers Ireland and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions have said they are supporting the Start Strong campaign - which has been calling for a pledge from election candidates to press for greater childcare investment and longer family leave.

Both groups say the lack of affordable childcare is bad for business and families.

Ciairín de Buis who is CEO of Start Strong has said Ireland's childcare record is poor: “We invest less than .2% of the GDP which is only one quarter of the OECD average.

“We have a full year of paid leave left available to parents as opposed to the European average and we have very variable quality with relation to our childcare services.”