Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Tom Fleming for raising this important issue. The Government will invest €260 million in child care this year, supporting child care provision for more than 100,000 children in the State. Despite budgetary pressures, the Government was determined to protect the early childhood care and education programme so that children continue to have access to this vital opportunity and to protect the employment of thousands of child care workers to which the Deputy refers. The early childhood care and education scheme provides one year of preschool care and education to more than 67,000 children, saving parents approximately €2,500 a year in child care costs. This week, my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Reilly, is commencing a high-level interdepartmental group to conduct a focus study on the area and to set out the direction of what the Deputy is looking for, a whole of Government approach to future investment in child care. This applies to the early years and school age children. The group will set out the policy goals for future investment, which is at the heart of the matter; examine current provision to see if it is a good fit for the goals; learn from best practice, including the experience of other countries; identify costed options for future investment; and,make recommendations to the Minister.

The group is due to report to the Government in six months time. The Minister and the Government are alive to the issue raised by the Deputy. The terms and conditions of employment, as well as the career stability prospects for individuals working in the sector, are extremely important. Irrespective of what public service they are providing, it is important that staff have stability of employment, a stake in their jobs and can see a future for themselves in their work. We value their involvement and contributions, as well as the involvement of the trade unions. It is welcome that Deputies are responding to the issue after it was raised this week. It is an important debate and the issues Deputy Tom Fleming raised will be considered by the Minister when he receives the report.

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