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

I move:

That Dáil Éireann: recognises:

— the challenges that exist in the Early Years Sector, including for parents trying to afford and access childcare places and for educators when it comes to pay and terms and conditions;

— the thousands of children on waiting lists for childcare places;

— the serious deficiencies in capacity in our Childcare Sector;

— the high costs of childcare that continues to exist with some parents paying over €1,000 a month; and

— the Early Years Educators who are underpaid and undervalued by successive Governments;

commends, the forty-three organisations who have come together to form the Together for Public, an alliance for a Public System of Early Childhood Education and Care, including children's rights groups, academics, trade unions, anti-poverty groups, equality and human rights groups, led by the National Women's Council of Ireland;

acknowledges:

— the Programme for Government commitment for the first time to public provision and to capital investment to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities; and

— the inclusion in the Programme for Government to commit to "undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed action plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity";

calls on Government to:

— publish the terms of reference for the consultation and detail how the consultation will take place with a timeframe;

— engage with Together for Public, on the terms of reference for the consultation before commencing; and

— detail a timeframe for the action plan.

I am sharing time with colleagues.

I begin by commending the 43 organisations and trade unions, including Women's Aid, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, one-parent organisations SPARK and One Family, Fórsa, SIPTU, the INMO, the INTO and others, who have come together to form the Together for Public alliance. It is led by the National Women's Council of Ireland. I bring this motion forward with its support and the support of many colleagues on the Opposition benches.

This motion identifies key issues in the early years sector and calls on the Minister and the Government to act on the commitments made in the programme for Government. In the Minister's contribution, she will point to all of the positives. I acknowledge the investment in the early years sector, the core funding and the lifeline that has been for some operators. I acknowledge also the national childcare scheme and the access and inclusion model. The Minister's amendment to this motion acknowledges a lot. However, we still have a situation today where parents are struggling to find childcare places and struggling to pay really high childcare fees. That is the reality they face.

This motion focuses on one commitment in the programme for Government which is as follows: "we will undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity." My asks in this motion are reasonable. What will the consultation look like? What are the terms of reference for it? I ask that it engage with Together for Public, an alliance, before commencing with the consultation and for a timeframe for the action plan. I am not looking for anything other than what has already been committed to.

Of course, I and other colleagues on this side of the House, and indeed the Minister, could add much more to that list such as pay for our early years educators, who are left at the whim of the joint labour committee, JLC, that is not working for them. The 65 cent was the outcome of the last negotiations. That 65 cent is a slap in the face for these educators who are walking away and who we very much need to recruit and retain. How is the Government going to reduce childcare costs to €200 a month while some parents continue to pay well above €1,000 a month? We could ask about the review into core funding and when it will commence.

There are many issues we could add to this motion. However, it is focusing on that sole commitment because I believe we can make progress where we consult and look at a detailed action plan. We can acknowledge the good and we can acknowledge progress. However, that is useless to parents who are contemplating going back to work, or considering if they are able to return to work. It is no good to the thousands of children on waiting lists for childcare places and to the early years educators who are leaving their profession. That is happening. We only have to look at the turnover figures which are as high as 50% or more in some counties in our State. That should be setting off alarm bells within the Government.

In bringing forward this motion I am mindful that there was much talk during the general election. I grant that most of it came from the Leader of Fine Gael. He spoke several times about a public model of childcare and it being a key priority if Fine Gael was returned to Government. I noted just a week ago the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, posted a video online asking for feedback, asking what we need to do next in terms of access, affordability and supporting staff. This follows a survey he launched to consult with parents and industry stakeholders on their views eight months ago. I am not sure what the Tánaiste does not get. Start the consultation, prepare the terms of reference, engage with the stakeholders and let us get the consultation done and get the action plan before us so that we can deal with the many issues.

I am seeking the Government to move quickly on one commitment in the programme for Government. There are many issues within our early years sector that need to be addressed but we have to look at affordability and accessibility. Far too many parents out there are struggling to find places, struggling to get back to work and when they get a childcare place they are struggling to pay for it.

I hope that in her response the Minister will be able to tell us whether she will be willing to meet with the alliance of 43 strong organisations that have come together and are campaigning for a public model of childcare. That is something we should look at. It should be examined in an Irish context. I believe it can play a major role following consultation. I ask the Minister to consider the motion.

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