Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I believe that the Minister will agree there is a very high turnover of staff in this area. Has the Department done research on this? What areas has the Department identified? What must we do now to ensure we do not have such high turnover? In his response to me, the Minister referred to people who are highly qualified. They are moving on to other jobs. I have come across people who have qualifications in childcare and who are not going into the sector because it is not attractive to them. It is important, therefore, that we have the proper structure and the proper pay in place. We also need to make sure that there is continuity and people do not feel they must leave because it is no longer a viable proposition for them to stay in the sector. Perhaps the Minister will further outline his Department's knowledge in this area and the research the Department has done.

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