Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am responding on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for business, employment and retail, Deputy English, who sends his apologies for not being able to be here. I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. Everybody knows she is s a very strong advocate for this sector and has worked tirelessly in this area. This debate gives us an opportunity to reaffirm to those working in early learning and childcare services the recognition they deserve for the very important work they do and the benefits their work brings for children, families and society. The programme for Government makes extensive commitments to improve access and quality of childcare, and, crucially, we have begun work delivering on those commitments.

In recognition of the importance of this sector and the Government’s commitment to ensuring high-quality, affordable and accessible services, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth,, Deputy O’Gorman, announced major reform of funding for early learning and childcare following the report of an expert group last year. Budget 2022 committed to a transformative and groundbreaking package of measures to begin to implement the vision set out in the report. Some €78 million is being made available to enable this in 2022, including €69 million for a core funding stream, equivalent to €207 million in a full year. Furthermore, throughout the pandemic, substantial State supports, including the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, the temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS, and other sectoral specific supports such as the reopening funding package for childcare services have been provided to the sector, which have enabled services to operate safely and ensured the increased costs associated with public health requirements and with lower demand were not passed on to parents.

However, on the topic for discussion today, I would like to clarify the Minister of State, Deputy English’s, role regarding the ERO for childcare. As the Senator will be aware, in line with his statutory obligations as set out in the Industrial Relations Act, he approved a recommendation of the Labour Court to establish a joint labour committee, JLC, for the early learning care and school age childcare sector in June 2021.However, policy responsibility for this sector sits outside his remit and is a matter for my colleague, Deputy O’Gorman, as the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. I understand that the joint labour committee, JLC, for the early learning care and school age childcare sector, which is independently chaired, has met on a number of occasions to date and is progressing its work.

Proposals for an employment regulation order are formulated in the first instance by a JLC where it is satisfied that such proposals would promote harmonious relations between workers and employers. The Labour Court then considers whether or not to adopt the proposals of a JLC. If the Labour Court is satisfied that the proposals are in a suitable form for adoption, the Labour Court adopts the proposals and submits the issue to the Minister of State with responsibility for business, employment and retail. If the Minister of State is satisfied that the relevant legislative requirements have been met and it is appropriate to make an order, he will give effect to the proposals through the making of an employment regulation order. I am informed that the Minister of State, Deputy English, has not yet received any proposals from the Labour Court regarding an employment regulation order for the early learning care and school age childcare sector.