Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to address the concerns regarding the conditions of those who work in the childcare sector in view of those who are concerned that the sector is facing more regulation and extra requirements for qualifications and training without any corresponding increase in capitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2372/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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What are the Minister's and the Department's plans to address the concerns about conditions for professionals working in the early childhood care and education sector? Many concerns have been raised in the sector concerning increasing regulation and extra requirements for qualifications and training without any provision for increased capitation or support from the Department. This sector faces serious challenges, but how does the Minister plan to address these?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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It is estimated by Pobal, from information provided by respondents to its 2013 annual survey, that there are approximately 24,000 staff employed in the child care sector.

Child care services in this country are provided by private commercial and community child care services and the level of remuneration provided to child care workers and the conditions of employment are matters for the management of these services. I appreciate the considerable contribution of child care staff to the provision of quality child care services and to the delivery of the child care support programmes which are implemented by my Department. Funding in the region of €260 million is provided annually by my Department directly to child care services to provide for the delivery of these support programmes. This funding is a major source of support to participating child care services and has, at a time of economic difficulty, ensured the sustainability of many of these services and also helped significantly to maintain employment levels in the sector.

The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme for example is provided by almost 4,300 preschool services, which is almost all of the preschool services in the country. Funding totalling almost €175 million is allocated annually to these services for the provision of the free preschool year under the ECCE programme. Despite the budgetary situation that prevailed in recent years, the Government maintained this investment and thereby ensured that participating child care services had a guaranteed source of income. This funding also ensures that many parents who would otherwise not be able to avail of preschool care and education for their children are able to enrol their children for the preschool provision.

The ECCE programme also provides a higher rate of capitation to participating child care providers who wish to employ staff that hold a higher level of child care qualifications. This higher rate of funding enables child care providers to provide employment opportunities to child care staff who have obtained professional child care qualifications. This is an important incentive for child care providers to improve the quality of the child care provision. In the school year 2013-14, more than 1,400 child care services received sanction from this Department for the higher capitation rate in accordance with the terms and conditions of the programme.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister has outlined nothing new. He has quoted statistics about which we are aware. He referred to service providers, which are fulfilling a role the State is failing to fulfil. We need to support the early childhood care and education sector, which has expanded at a rapid pace over the past decade. There have been many positive developments, including the provision of 65,000 new places and the introduction of the free preschool year. When it was introduced, it was the first time minimum qualifications were required. Síolta, Aistear, the early childhood curriculum framework and the workforce development plan are great programmes but they are not being implemented. Does the Minister acknowledge that the sector is on its knees? The evidence for this is that for the first time ever the sector plans to hold a protest rally in front of the gates of Leinster House in a few weeks because more and more regulations and standards, as is proper, are being introduced but the Department is not matching their requirements with the necessary supports.

Quality, educated and professional staff working in this sector earn little more than the minimum wage and they have to apply for social welfare benefits when early childhood centres close for the summer, which is not right.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I utterly reject the Deputy's contention that the programmes are not being implemented. While new qualification requirements are being introduced as part of the ongoing progression of the early years quality agenda, my Department has made €3 million available over two years under the learner fund to assist child care staff to obtain the higher qualification levels. I am aware of the significant impact co-ordinated Government investment can have on developments in the child care sector and, for this reason, I propose to established a cross-departmental group at senior level to develop a whole-of-Government approach to future investment in early childhood care and education and after school care. This group will undertake an economic and cost benefit analysis of policies and future options for increasing the supply, accessibility and affordability of quality childhood care and education services and will also consider workforce development issue as they relate to quality and sustainability.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the Minister made €3 million available; that is not in question. However, in a sector that employs 24,000 people, that equates to €125 per head. That would not buy the books to study at FETAC level 5 or 6. The staff in the sector feel they are undervalued and under resourced for the pivotal role they play in society and they are right. If they did not feel that, they would not travel to the gates of Leinster House in February. The Minister is correct but Síolta and Aistear are being fragmentarily implemented. They are not being implemented across the country because the resources are not available.

New regulations are on the way with no consultation whatsoever with the sector. They are being foisted on staff. Following the "Prime Time" exposé, new regulations were to be implemented. We still do not know what they will be. We were also promised inspectors would be employed from the early childhood sector. Only a few weeks ago, it was announced that the new inspectors have to be public health nurses, which is a reneging on the commitment. The Department is pursuing an agenda and implementing change without consultation and without giving staff and service providers the necessary supports and resources to implement the change that is needed.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Department and I are acutely aware of the difficulties being experienced in the retention of staff. The ECCE programme is for but three hours a day and it only covers 38 weeks annually, which presents challenges.

That is what the interdepartmental group is about. There will be engagement with the sector to address that issue so that we can ensure we have high-quality staff with the right qualifications to secure the best sort of care and outcomes for our children. I know that they are committed to it and I thank them for their commitment to our children. We will look at further ways of addressing the issues that have become apparent. I am aware of the unrest in the sector and we will seek to address it through this group in an approach that will be well-informed so that we get the best outcome primarily for our children but also one that permits a sustainable service.