Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I fully support Sinn Féin's motion. Childcare is essential for society, aiding children's development and enabling parents to work. Ireland faces a childcare crisis, however, with high costs, limited availability and inadequate support for professionals. This crisis demands urgent reform. Affordable, accessible and reliable childcare is crucial for families and the economy. It allows parents to work, boosts economic growth and ensures children receive the care they need. Despite its importance, childcare in Ireland lacks sufficient investment. Childcare costs are extremely high, comparable to a second mortgage for many parents. Thousands of children are on waiting lists, highlighting a system in crisis. Countries such as Sweden and Denmark cap childcare costs, making it affordable.

Ireland should adopt similar measures to ease the financial burden on families and increase workforce participation, especially among women. The Government must act immediately. I support increasing the national childcare scheme subsidy to provide for childcare at a cost of €10 per day per child, reducing the financial strain and improving accessibility. Early years educators should receive an initial pay increase of €1.50 an hour, with annual rises to help retain professionals and ensure high-quality care for children. Additionally, the Government should increase childcare capacity by speeding up the process for childminders to offer subsidies, using vacant buildings for childcare, as seen in the UK, and extending parent's leave and benefit schemes to allow parents to stay with their babies during the first year, which is crucial for well-being.

Investing in quality childcare benefits children, families and society. It supports child development, alleviates financial stress and fosters economic growth and social stability. Having recently met some of the west Cork representatives from the early years union, I know they believe that if a child’s early years are to be valued and recognised, the Government and employers must ensure that wages in the early years sector are increased above the living wage. The living wage rate is evidence based. Earning below it suggests employees are forced to go without certain essentials in order that they can survive.

It is shocking how employees in early years childcare, whether in the private or public sector, are treated. I spoke to one lady who told me she has to sign on. These people are the very same as teachers. The only difference is that they teach children in their early years. When teachers of older children finish their work for the year in June, they do not have to sign on for social welfare. The situation these people are left with is astonishing. The lady, one of the group I met, told me she and her husband had applied for a mortgage but could not get one because she had been signing on for social welfare, given she works in early years childcare, during the summer months, which she does not want to have to do. Luckily, the husband was able to get a mortgage, but his is now the only name on the mortgage and she is unable to get her name onto it because she works in early years childcare and has to sign on. If we are to take the world seriously, we have to look at that model such that these people who are working will be treated the same as teachers, with the respect they deserve, because they teach our children at the early stages of their life, which will be of benefit to the country as time goes on.

I do not think the Minister is listening, perhaps not specifically tonight but in general, to this crisis that has brought people who work in early years childcare to the Dáil, protesting and so on. They do not want to protest. They want to go back to their local communities and work with the people there but the Minister is not listening and does not want to do so. Personally, I do not think he has even listened to us tonight. This debate is just a box-ticking exercise, in my view, and I am not one bit pleased with his attitude.

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