Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the Upper House. I know a lot about this because I have two young children in full-time child care. It is an issue that concerns all parents, and parents and providers currently are straining under the weight of child care provision in Ireland. I have spoken to many providers and workers here in Dublin and throughout the country who cannot afford to make ends meet on the wages they are being paid in the sector. It is a real issue. Given that, overwhelmingly, it is women who are employed in the sector, I am very concerned about their economic independence, although their happiness is also very important. They are looking after our children and it is important they feel fulfilled in their careers and that they are happy. This is a big concern of mine.

Traditionally, women in Ireland have had very low labour force participation, and that is down to the cost of child care. I have spoken to many women at school gates and on doorsteps who are heartbroken at having to give up their careers because they have had children and cannot afford the cost of child care. While they are happy to be at home with their children and they enjoy it, they are heartbroken for the careers they have lost. As citizens, we should be concerned about the skills, experience and dedication of these women that have been lost to the workforce, especially in regard to the creativity of the workforce. It is a very important area for the country to develop. We need to get child care right.

As we know, Fianna Fáil introduced the free preschool year. That was groundbreaking at the time, and I am very happy to see it extended to two full years, although it should have been done two years ago when it was announced to much fanfare by the then Minister, Senator James Reilly, that there would be two years of free preschool. That did not transpire, and as the Minister, Deputy Zappone, said in her speech, it worked out at an average of 61 weeks. I am very happy to see this done. It is something I brought up with the Minister after the last budget and it is great it has been taken on board. Fianna Fáil was the first to bring in preschool regulations, as well as the Síolta and Aistear curriculums. Again, this shows our commitment from a number of years ago to this sector, although when we left office in 2011, there were many gaps and issues in the child care sector, which I acknowledge.

I welcome the single affordable child care scheme as announced in last year's budget, although I was appalled, to be honest, with the manner of its introduction. I think the people in the Department and in crèches throughout the country should have engaged in a conversation. Given the way many were left at a loss as to what was occurring, there needs to be better communication with these providers. Moreover, there was no additional funding in budget 2018 for the single affordable child care scheme, and that should be looked at for next year's budget.

As I said, I welcome the additional ECCE year. Although the Minister increased capitation fees, they need to be increased further, and I urge her to look at this for next year's budget. Fianna Fáil also promises to introduce a professional development fund, should we be elected to government in the future, to provide for and educate the workers in the child care sector, to professionalise the sector and to show the value we place on child care workers and our children in providing quality early years education.