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

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the important issue of early learning and childcare. We will not be opposing this motion this evening. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of early learning and childcare to society and the economy, but most importantly, to children. The pandemic served to shine a light on the contribution made by childcare professionals, who kept the doors open and our children safe. I know Deputies from all sides of the House want to join me in paying tribute to that work.

At the outset, I want to be clear and honest because significant challenges remain within the sector. Those challenges are something on which many of us will agree. Fees are unaffordable for many parents, particularly those who are availing of long hours or have more than one child using services.

The level of pay and working conditions in the sector do not reflect the value of the work that early-years educators and school-age childcare practitioners do. Poor pay and conditions undermine the quality and lead to a high staff turnover, which negatively impacts on children. Despite the unprecedented levels of State investment in recent years, the level of State investment still remains low by international standards. I believe the staff working these services and the parents paying those fees deserve more than sound bites and lip service in the face of those challenges.

This is why the Government has set out an ambitious programme of reform for early learning and childcare. We have backed up that reform with significant new investment and core funding representing €221 million in the full year. This reform agenda encompasses all of funding including pay and conditions, professional development, sustainability and administration. I genuinely believe that reforming early learning and childcare actually deserves more than the five-line motion we have before us today. I listened carefully to colleagues from Sinn Féin, seven of whom have spoken, and I have not heard how much Sinn Féin will invest in childcare to deliver its proposal.

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