Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

All Deputies accept the need for quality child care and minimum qualifications - that is a given. The Minister must accept that most community employment workers who commence work in child care services are taking part in training programmes under which they attain a level 5 qualification after the first year and a level 6 qualification after the second year. Earlier today, I spoke to a lady who runs the community child care service in Ballymahon, County Longford. Two community employment workers will finish work in the service tomorrow because it does not have enough money to retain them. These staff, one of whom has a level 5 qualification and the other a level 6 qualification, have been an integral and crucial part of the service's ratio.

The €1 million in additional funding provided by the Minister is simply not good enough. In 2016, child care facilities employed 1,816 community employment workers.

Assuming that most of those were working on at least a half-time basis, they would need to be paid for 20 hours per week 52 weeks per year. That is €16 million, but the Minister is only making €1 million available to replace community employment workers. I welcome the capital investment, but that will not solve the staffing ratio problem.

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