Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak about this important issue and commend my colleagues, Deputies Kathleen Funchion and Donnchadh Ó Laoighaire, for their work on the early years sector. They have been to the fore in highlighting issues of concern in it. I also welcome those in the Visitors Gallery who represent the people affected by the issues raised in the debate. I know that there are many more tuned in to watch the proceedings.

There is a growing staff crisis in the early years sector. The ever increasing burden of administration work on staff without adequate time, pay or resources is causing a huge staff turnover and a shortage of skilled workers. Thousands of staff in the sector are forced to sign on every year for the summer months, despite many of them holding professional qualifications at degree level. That is an insult to these workers who work very hard.

Despite the fact that the Government is demanding higher professional standards from early years services, the level of funding provided does not match these aspirations. In fact, there is little to incentivise highly qualified degree level workers to enter the sector for minimum wage rates and with limited career prospects. The vision for the future for the sector is central to the debate. Do we see it essentially as providing a child care service or do we see it as an extension of the education system? International research shows that high quality early childhood care and education is beneficial to young children at the foundation stage of their development. As a teacher by profession, I am only too aware of the critical impact of early years education, particularly for children who experience disadvantage. The international benchmark for expenditure on the early years sector is 1% of GDP, but the State only spends half of that amount. That says it all and I hope Deputies will give the sector the respect it deserves by supporting the motion. We need to value staff in the early years sector. This is the time to show them how much we value their work.

See this speech in context