Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates and thank both groups for coming. I also welcome the introduction of a single affordable child care scheme and the broad infrastructure, but I have concerns about the short time period and particular concerns about the fact that staff working in the sector are very badly paid. While they are required to provide quality services which is good and right, I am very concerned that there is nothing in the scheme that will increase the income of those working in the sector who, unfortunately, have to leave it because they cannot afford to work in it, despite being very dedicated.

In its submission the Association of Childcare Professionals, from which we will hear in the next session, refers to the draft scheme, stating efficiency can be achieved by combining part-time places through parental preferences, although parental preferences set limits on the ability to combine part-time places, and through managing staff resources at different times of the day and the year. Its concern is that in practice this could introduce zero hour contracts and insecure hours for staff. Deputy Anne Rabbitte has already raised an issue about the figure of 52 weeks. I seek assurances for staff that there will be a recognition that they need to be appropriately paid and should not be on insecure hours. Many areand that is a real concern.

Can Pobal state why family income supplement is assessable under the scheme when it is not under various other schemes?

The explanatory note on head 3 of the Bill states:

The intention within the legislation is to provide for the total amount of subsidies available each year to be capped. When the budget cap has been reached within a given financial year, no further applications will be accepted unless and until additional monies are made available...

Does that mean that if somebody applies to participate in the scheme and the money has all been spent, the child will not qualify? It would be a source of serious concern if that was the case.

In head 6(1)(c) on approved providers there is a reference to "requirements that must be met by the provider in order to participate in the Scheme," in respect of quality. While I agree that quality is very important, what are the quality requirements?

As I understand it, for the preschool sector, all providers will be registered but for the at school sector, they do not have to be registered, yet they will receive State funding. How is it to be monitored? If there are problems, will a parent or a provider be able to take a case to the Ombudsman for Children?