Less than ten percent of parents with young children have placed their children in day care, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted on behalf of The Irish Times by Ipsos MRBI reveals that for those parents juggling work with child-rearing, a parent remaining at home is still the most common option.

According to the survey, 58% of parents state that one of them, usually the mother, stays home and minds their own children. Where both parents work grandparents are the most popular choice with 42% of parents leaving their children with them, while 20% each opt for creches and childminders. These are followed by other family members, accounting for 14%, au pairs at 4%, a figure matched by friends/neighbours as childcare options.

The Irish Times sees a linkage between the figures and the massive cost of childcare in Ireland, contending that more people would avail of creches if that cost were reduced. However, this is challenged by another poll, undertaken by the Amarach research body on behalf of the Iona Institute in 2013, which revealed that of parents with children aged under five years, 49% stated it was their preferred option to have their children cared for at home by a parent, and 27% citing another family member, such as a grandparent, as their preferred choice.

Only 17 percent said placing their children in a crèche was their number one choice.