Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is really helpful and important. We need to give certainty to early years educators that pay increases will come and they will continue to come. It is really important because we need to retain those we have; they are highly educated, highly professional, many of them have years of experience and we also need to encourage more people to join the profession. Where there is uncertainty about your wages and you cannot plan for the future, it makes it really difficult. When you are relying on a JLC that you do not know when it will meet and decide on a pay increase, it makes it really difficult.

The last JLC in particular did not cover itself in much glory when it took 14 months for a 65 cent pay increase which, frankly, was a slap in the face to these professionals. We must treat them properly and with the respect they deserve, which the Minister does and I take nothing away from that. He knows they deserve proper pay and I know that. We need to look at that JLC process and they need to be called around the table, as the Minister has done which I welcome, as quickly as possible to get this work done.

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