Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I second the proposal of my colleague, Senator Devine, to amend the Order of Business.

Not for the first time, I wish to address the issue of the appallingly low rates of pay in the childcare sector. A graduate outcome survey published by the Higher Education Authority last week revealed the extent of low pay in the early years sector. Some 43% of honours degree graduates in the sector earn less than €20,000 per year, well below the living wage of €23,000. The survey also revealed that 35% of honours degree graduates are on precarious contracts. Of course, this has led to a staffing crisis. The staff turnover in childcare is 25%. One must think of the impact that has on children. One in four people are leaving the sector. It happens in every crèche across this country.

Members have been raising this issue for almost three years and certainly since I became a Member of this House. I have consistently been told that the Government is going to address it. However, the fact is that it has not been addressed. Early years educators typically earn little more than €11 per hour. They are voting with their feet and leaving the sector. In many cases, they are leaving the country because they can get better rates of pay that recognise their professional qualifications elsewhere. Indeed, we remain bottom of the league among European countries in terms of investment in early years education. I call for a debate on the issue and that, in particular, the Government begin to heed SIPTU and its Big Start campaign, which aims to organise workers in the sector. However, it has not met with the positive response it deserves from the Government. This is failing the workers and the children and at this stage, with the Government having been in power for almost three years, there is no excuse.