Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 19 June 2025
Committee on Children and Equality
Engagement with Children's Rights Alliance
2:00 am
Dr. Naomi Feely:
We know there are really critical issues there. Over the last number of years, we have seen significant reform in the sector, certainly with the introduction of the core funding and tying that to - the name escapes me now - the joint labour commission payments. It is "JLC". That is really important because we are establishing a wage for the sector. However, it will be really critical as we move towards a public model to look specifically at wages for the sector. We would certainly like to see that being the first move - that the State would take on the payment of workers in the sector. That guarantees quality for children, which is of critical concern with respect to a children's rights-based approach.