Ms Bernie McNally:

The Minister has said on a number of occasions that what the workforce earns is really important for children. Good quality care for children comes from a valued workforce, as we know from international evidence. The European Commission has told us that as well. That is why the Minister has been very vocal about a sectoral employment order. We work with the profession a lot and the Minister established a forum attended by representatives of different groups. Only the other day the Minister met representatives of SIPTU, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, IBEC, etc. and matters like this are always discussed.

As the Secretary General mentioned - it may sound like a cliché - we are not the employer and we would not be a direct party at the Labour Court for discussions on a sectoral employment order, although we would be asked to make a contribution. If we were asked to make a contribution, we would say it is not good for children when there is 25% turnover in the sector because staff cannot be retained. We know from international evidence that it is not good for early childhood outcomes. We need to find a position where staff can be paid a reasonable amount and they can be retained and provide proper early education for children.

There is only so much we can do and the Minister and the Government have put much extra investment into the sector. All of this is not going to staff wages but we hope that measures like the extra 7% in early childhood care and education, ECCE, capitation last September will lead to an increase becoming evident this year. Everything the Department can do to support the sector is being done. We are hoping the new funding model mentioned by the Secretary General will allow us leverage the employers to pay their staff more. We are hoping this wonderful model that is to be built will lead to services perhaps opting in to extra funding on the condition they pay their staff a certain amount. That is in development but it will take a couple of years.