Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On childcare and early learning, new regulations are being put in place for home-based care but continued consultation with the providers is essential. There is major frustration among childcare providers who face great financial pressure and bureaucracy. I engage with experienced operators such as Brigid Fleming in Riverchapel and Frances Burke in Arklow and they are not alone as this is a national concern. There is a conveyor belt of passionate, highly qualified staff leaving the sector due to multiple issues, including poor wages and complicated social welfare procedures. They are generally disillusioned with the profession they love. Last week I met a delegation from the Early Days Academy and Imagination Station in Arklow. Emer Kavanagh is highly qualified but she is being paid less now than she was as a lounge girl. This is simply not correct. Why is there such a gap between the pay and conditions of these highly qualified workers and those in mainstream education? These are the very people we trust to care for those who matter most, namely, our children.

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