Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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78. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of new childcare providers who have entered the sector in each of the past five years; the number of childcare providers who have left the sector in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32214/25]

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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One issue that always arises during my weekly clinics in County Clare is the lack of childcare places. This is such an enormous stress for almost all working parents. An adequate level of such facilities is important from an educational perspective, but also as critical enablers for parents to join the workforce. Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the number of childcare providers that have entered and left the sector over the last five years?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. Every year it is normal for some services to open and for some services to close. The year 2024 saw a five-year high in the number of childcare services opening and a five-year low in the number of early learning and childcare services closing. A total of 357 services opened, while 131 services closed, which resulted in a net increase of 226 childcare services opening in 2024. There have been year-on-year increases in the number of childcare services opening since registration of school-age childcare began in 2019. The register and related data are updated monthly by Tusla and reported to my Department the following month. The data I have available from Tusla from the end of 2024 indicates a total of 5,106 childcare services were registered with Tusla at that time.

Last year, as I mentioned, there was a net increase of 226 childcare services and previous years also saw net increases in the number of childcare services. The net increase and total number of childcare services was 46, 51, 30 and 129 in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. Year on year, we are seeing a net increase and that is testament to the significant amount of State funding going into this sector to support providers, while also ensuring we have additional places and staff who are appropriately remunerated.

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Having spoken to several childcare providers, the main concern for the viability of sector is staff retention. I am not surprised, given the information I have received. I understand an SNA can be applied to a primary school having completed a 12-week certificate course, while a childcare educator must have a minimum FETAC level 5 qualification, which is a one to two year process.

A childcare educator is paid an average of €4 per hour with less work, more hours and lower holiday entitlements. It is no wonder the staff in this sector feel undervalued and are walking away in significant numbers. Childcare facilities are the foundation stone for the growth, development and education journey of all children. I ask the Minister to give serious consideration to a root-and-branch review of how these facilities and staff are valued and funded and to bring their level of bureaucracy in line with other education services such as our primary schools, for example.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. To be clear, I am under no illusions regarding the importance of retaining staff in this sector. I have been clear on that from the outset. We can make all the progress we want in having additional places and more accommodations available but if we do not have staff working in the sector, we achieve nothing at all.

Suffice to say, the Government has put €45 million on the table for this year that is ring-fenced, solely for the purpose of ensuring there will be an increase in wages for staff working in the sector. The decision on that, however, is a matter for the joint labour committee which is independent of the Government. I have met committee members on a couple of occasions and have been clear on my personal view on all that funding being used for staff but it will be an independent decision. Nevertheless, I am very clear about the importance of paying staff appropriately.

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her positive reply. I wish to raise one final point with the Minister regarding extra capacity that may be within the system without any extra facilities, highlighted by this direct quote from the manager of one facility:

Allocation of a blanket of 45 hours childcare per week to a family without full consideration of their circumstances is completely clogging up the system. I regularly see 45 hours allocated to families with one or both parents at home for whatever reason. While every child should have an allocation of hours for socialisation, the allocation of 45 hours per week while a parent or parents are home should be discouraged. This facility could potentially take another 30 children off the waiting list if the process around how hours are allocated were re-examined.

I suggest the Minister examine this process to see if an amendment would deliver taking extra childcare spaces in the short term.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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While the pay and conditions of staff are incredibly important, the physical buildings in which they operate are also important. While I particularly welcome the building blocks programme which was an important initiative, the Minister and I know the limitations of that. We could do with a few more bob from the Department of public expenditure - if it was giving it to the Minister - but also for the cap on it. Unfortunately, in Dublin, the €750,000 cap prevents some of the really good, experienced, community-led childcare programmes from expanding. I ask the Minister to continue to do all she can in this area in providing more capital funding, as well the pay and conditions for staff.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies Cooney and McAuliffe. I will go to the last question first. The building blocks scheme has been positively welcomed and will deliver an additional 1,500 places, which is hugely important. The budget available for that was €25 million and I appreciate this brings its own constraints but it is delivering 1,500 additional places. As I previously outlined, we are also working on payment for staff with the money being ring-fenced and put on the table being the €45 million.

Specifically on Deputy Cooney's question, it is very difficult to determine families who have different needs at different times and therefore may require longer or lesser hours in a childcare facility. It is a matter for parents in this respect because we do not know their individual circumstances but I hear the point he raises.