Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to be associated with the Minister's remarks in paying tribute to childcare providers and their staff. While rapid Government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic continue to be required, long-term and long-lasting development and reform are ever more important. A development and reform agenda has been under way in the Department for some time and Deputies will be aware of the progress made. New regulations in 2016 introduced a minimum qualification requirement for the early learning and care workforce for the first time. A contractual requirement for a higher level of qualification is in place for the ECCE programme. The higher capitation payment under that programme has incentivised graduate employment, which is now at 25% of the workforce. When I first became a Deputy four years ago, that figure was at 4%. The learner fund has provided financial support to thousands of practitioners to upskill. New criteria and guidelines have been produced to support the development of education programmes in early learning and care at levels 5 to 8 of the national framework of qualifications.

There has been a 141% increase in State investment in the sector since 2015. In recent years the number of children benefiting from the ECCE programme and other State subsidies has doubled. Barriers to participation for children with disability have been removed with the introduction and roll-out of the award-winning access and inclusion model. Despite this progress, many challenges remain. The high turnover in the workforce is of particular concern as research suggests that children are affected by the continuity of their experience.

The average wage in the sector is just €12.55 per hour. Forty-four percent of the staff work part-time and 40% are on seasonal contracts, making employment in the sector an unattractive option for many. Despite unprecedented levels of investment, Ireland still trails behind international investment norms, and costs to parents still remain among the highest in Europe.

First 5, Ireland's first ever whole-of-government strategy to support babies, young children and their families, commits to significantly developing and reforming the early learning and childcare system. Three major targets have been set to be delivered over the lifetime of the strategy: there will be a graduate-led early learning and care workforce, with at least 50% of the staff working directly with children holding an appropriate degree qualification; all regulated school-age childcare staff and childminders will hold a minimum qualification; and the level of State investment in early learning and care and school-aged childcare will at least double from the 2019 baseline of €574 million. To ensure we meet these ambitious workforce targets, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and his Department are developing a workforce development plan that will raise the profile of carers in early learning care and the care of school-aged children; establish a career framework and leadership development opportunities; set out mechanisms by which representatives of employers and staff can work together to agree salary scales and employment conditions with the backing of the Labour Court; and work towards building a more gender-balanced and diverse workforce.

To ensure that the additional State investment pledged in First 5 delivers the best outcome for the children and their families, an expert group is developing a new funding model that will continue to reduce the out-of-pocket costs for parents; ensure a range of additional supports can be provided to children from disadvantaged groups; compensate providers so they can deliver early learning and childcare on a sustainable and high-quality basis; attract and retain a well-qualified workforce; and create more supportive working conditions where the workforce feels valued and where there is time for preparation, reflection, teamwork and parental engagement. Work on both projects - the workforce development plan and the funding model - commenced in 2019 and has continued throughout the pandemic. Already, significant progress has been made and extensive engagement has taken place. These coming months will be crucial for both projects in generating proposals and recommendations that the Minister can bring to the Government.

See this speech in context