Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This Sinn Féin motion, tabled by my party colleague, Deputy Kathleen Funchion, sets out to address the three big issues in the early years childcare sector. The first of these is the crippling costs of childcare to working families. The second is the lack of real respect, fairness and remuneration for the 30,000 highly qualified and skilled workers who deserve career opportunities and recognition for the essential work they do. Finally, I refer to the need for financial support in the form of the 100% restoration of Covid-19 temporary wage subsidy scheme to enable childcare providers to continue to operate. It is time to decide. Either we see the early years sector as a cost and a burden to the State or we see it as an opportunity to invest in our most precious commodity, our children and our families. It is an opportunity to invest in something that will give back many times over.

In economics, we talk about the multiplier effect. Investing in our children and the early years sector certainly has the multiplier effect. While many multinational companies and financial institutions look for all kinds of innovative ways to shift their profits to avoid paying our corporation tax rate of 12.5%, this sector has been starved of investment and acutely underfunded for many years. It is not by chance that we are the lowest-ranking country in the EU when it comes to investment in our early years sector. Apart from the benefits of protecting the health, well-being and education of our children, the sector enables parents to work outside of the home, progressing their careers and returning higher levels of taxation and spending to underpin economic growth.

The families that are most affected by this are entitled to nothing. They pay through the nose for everything, including healthcare, school transport, third level education and everything else in between. It is time to give these families a break. I urge the Minister of State to use this opportunity to set out a new vision, underpinned by proper investment in our early years and childcare sector.

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