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

In order to ensure that every childcare professional can get a fair wage, we have initiated a joint labour committee, JLC, and an employment regulation order, ERO, process. Two EROs are in negotiation. The first is for an entry rate of €13 per hour, which guarantees the living wage for childcare professionals for the first time in this State. The second is to look at higher levels of pay. All of that is backed up by core funding. We have been very clear that the payment of core funding is contingent on the ERO. If the State is to step up with €221 million of investment, it has to be guaranteed that childcare professionals who have worked so hard and demonstrated the huge value they gave to the State during Covid, we have to be assured they will get that additional investment and will see it in their pay packets. We are about to achieve that.

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