Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We heard earlier that 30% of childcare managers are struggling to find new staff. Would she consider adding childcare to the critical skills list, which would make it easier for that sector to attract skilled and qualified personnel, especially, of course, from countries outside the European Economic Area such as New Zealand, Brazil and Australia? Skilled people from these countries, obviously with the appropriate qualifications, would then qualify.

The Minister mentioned staff turnover of 24.5% with a third of those going to other jobs within the sector. That means two thirds are going elsewhere. While the Government is not an employer, it is the policymaker in this area. Would we consider a long-term sustainable career path for childcare staff with market-rate pay as a policy, some sort of a pay scale and ongoing training and career development in particular? That is quite important when it comes to retaining these people, especially graduates.

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