Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister will be aware that the Association of Childcare Professionals has indicated that it intends to hold a day of action and protest on 17 November. I commend it on that because I believe that workers and professionals in this sector have been taken for granted by previous Governments and by this Government. We are asking them to deal with an increase in capacity, and as a result a significantly changed sector, yet they are unlikely to see any improvement in their conditions. There has been no improved access to the Learner fund and because of that a significant category of workers is maintained in low-paid, insecure employment without any ability to progress. There was also a failure to deal with the seriously problematic and very unfair situation whereby child care workers are expected to sign-on during the summer months. These are people who have qualifications, which they worked very hard to achieve, and they deserve more respect and better pay. They deserve a fair deal from this Government.

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