Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is important for service providers to have flexibility in staffing arrangements and in how they structure their organisations. I also believe that a career structure will be necessary to support the further professionalisation of the sector and to make careers in the sector more attractive. Establishing clear and supported career pathways is important in improving the recruitment and retention of staff and in enhancing practitioners' continued professional development, both of which better support outcomes for children. Putting in place a career structure will involve giving clarity on the different roles and services, as well as on the tasks and qualification requirements for those roles. It also will involve identifying and supporting career pathways for individuals to progress their careers within the sector. These are all elements that will form part of the workforce plan that I will publish the next number of weeks.

Work began in 2019 on developing on a workforce plan for the sector. The processes involved extension extensive engagement with sectoral representatives, as well as a public consultation process. The workforce plan will set out actions to achieve related commitments in the First 5 strategy, including: a graduate-led workforce by 2028; development of a career framework; a national infrastructure for continuing professional development; and strengthening leadership development opportunities. I will shortly publish the workforce plan, which has been developed in parallel with the work of the expert group on the funding model. Commitments in the workforce plan are expected to complement the development of the core funding stream that was committed to in budget 2022.

Another element of a career structure is the rates we pay. It is vital to recognise the value of the work, with higher rates of pay for those with greater responsibilities or higher qualifications. While the State is not the employer and I have no power to set wage rates, I have already referred to the process I began last December that has led to the recent establishment of a joint labour committee. With this process now in place and with the backing of the new core funding stream from September 2022, I believe there is a real prospect of improvements in pay rates in this sector. I am looking forward to progressing the expert group and the workforce development plan in the next week or two.

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