Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of childcare workers. The most recent SIPTU survey was quite shocking. It was an extensive survey of 10% of workers in the sector. Some 66% of childcare workers earn less than the living wage. Perhaps more shocking is the fact that managers are paid less than €15 an hour in many cases. Some 42% of managers earn less than €15 an hour. Imagine how hard it is to be a manager in a childcare or early education centre. That is all we are paying them. That tells me the model is fundamentally flawed. Sinn Féin has been arguing for several years that we need a new, State-led model of childcare and early learning. One in five workers in the childcare sector works a second job. That is a shocking statistic. That is the reality and it is because they are so poorly paid. That is before I even mention the thousands who must sign on every summer because they are let go. This has been going on for years.

I declare an interest. I am a SIPTU member who worked on the original Big Start campaign. That is one of the reasons I am so passionate about this matter. I have met many of these workers and I know how poorly paid they are and how insecure their contracts are. There will, hopefully, be some progress this year in terms of establishing a sectoral employment order. I hope that happens quickly. Most of those people have no pension or sick pay. How can that be acceptable in 2022?

The more fundamental point I want to make is the following. The big theme this week is the cost of living. Sinn Féin put forward a proposal costed by the Department of Finance last October to reduce the cost of childcare by one third this year and by one third next year by moving to a State-run early years childcare model. That is a radical proposal and would not please everybody but it is the right thing to do. We talked about setting up a sustainability and capacity fund. It was costed by the Department of Finance at €86.1 million. A full year would cost €167.85 million. That could significantly reduce the cost of childcare for hard-pressed families. Anyone who listened to "Morning Ireland" earlier heard mothers talking about how expensive childcare is and how they are struggling with the cost of living. Rather than piecemeal efforts to address the cost of living, why not adopt a radical proposal to develop a State-led childcare sector? That is what the workers in the sector are crying out for. This time next year, will those workers have pensions, sick pay and a living wage? If not, why? Surely our priorities must start with those workers who do incredibly important work.

I am asking the Deputy Leader to organise a debate on this issue as a matter of urgency. Let us have a debate so we can move this conversation forward and ensure justice for childcare workers so we do not have to endure another depressing SIPTU survey this time next year.