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

I make the point again that if we want a functioning early years service for parents, children and the professionals who work in it, we have to get pay right. The JLC and pay talks granted, the last time, 65 cent, which to me is insulting, to the early years educators in the sector. If we do not get that right, we will continue to have issues with recruitment and retention and capacity. We already have about 30,000 children on waiting lists for places. In many cases, they are on waiting lists for places that do not exist and will not exist. It is not good enough, given the crisis we have in the early years sector, especially with the educators, to leave it to the JLC when it comes up with 65 cent for the early years educators, based on the fact we need a functioning early years sector for parents, children and for the professionals.

See this speech in context