Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion on childcare.

We all agree that, for too long, childcare and care in general were seen as women's work - work that was carried out behind closed doors, necessary but without much value. That view has been changing in recent years, but that context shaped how we supported, recognised and financed the provision of childcare and how we ensured access to childcare facilities for parents. Our record in the provision of childcare is dismal compared to our European partners. For example, the salary paid to early years educators in Germany is approximately €18 per hour. In France, it is approximately €20. In the Netherlands, it is €26. Here, it is between €12 and €13. During a Topical Issue debate three weeks ago, I asked the Minister for an extra allocation of €150 million in next year's budget, including €75 million to help ensure those working in the childcare sector earned the living wage. We are not talking about moving them up the European scale. Rather, we are asking that the Minister lift them from the bottom of the pile.

We know that 40% of people in the sector are looking for work elsewhere. They are being poached into other sectors. After all that training to provide quality childcare, we are losing committed and dedicated workers. The majority of the workers love their jobs and look forward to their work. It is a vocation for most of them.

The crazy thing is that, on top of everything, Irish parents pay the highest fees in the EU at approximately €180 per week. That is way above countries like Sweden, Denmark and France. In that context, and as I have told the Minister previously, there is a need for a further €75 million investment in next year's budget in order to ensure that parents can afford to access high-quality childcare.

To be honest, I prefer to use the term "early years education" rather than "childcare" and the term "early years educators" instead of "childcare workers". My reason for this is the context. While we have moved on, there are still too many people who view care as a secondary matter. It does not appear when we are calculating our balance of payments or feature when we assess our GDP, but it is central to how we organise our society. We believe we have moved on, and we have to some extent, but we still have such a long way to go. The value we place on childcare is reflected in the value we place on those who work in the sector. Too many people think of childcare as minding children. Of course, children need to be looked after, but early years education is so much more than that. It provides high-quality, play-based early years learning, supports families to manage their work-life balance, and provides a positive transition to primary education, as the Minister knows. However, our childcare system can do none of that because it is not properly resourced. It is the poor relation.

Childcare providers are at the end of their tether, with many of them holding on by their fingernails, knowing that another year like the past one will sink them. Many of them do not know whether they will still be around in six or nine months' time. Equally, those who work in the sector - 98% are women, which is the most telling element - are among the lowest paid people in the country. We cannot expect them to continue working for a salary that is below the living wage. The childcare sector is looking to next week's budget for an indication from the Government that, one year into its term, it is serious about supporting the sector.

See this speech in context