Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Before I get to the substantive issue of childcare provision, I want to take a moment to comment on the operation of this House. I know we have done this many times of an evening here. It is now 8.15 p.m. and the Seanad is due to sit until 8.30 p.m. tonight. That makes it a very unfriendly working environment for family life. When I began in the Seanad, there was a lot of talk about creating a family-friendly set-up and a family-friendly Oireachtas. Obviously, the Ceann Comhairle is not here at the moment, but I hope he picks up the mantle again and addresses this issue in a meaningful way so that we can better accommodate family and general life balance. I say that as someone who does not have children. I spent the best part of last year as a carer for a sick family member. Obviously, it is not the Minister's fault, but considering the topic, these late evening sittings are not reflective of a family-friendly work environment. We want to see changes made in order to get more women and a more diverse group of people into politics. Given that it is women who do the lion's share of caring for children and family members outside of work, it is not an ideal optic to have us all here in the evening. However, that is neither here nor there.

Childcare provision is an issue that has faced workers for generations. As previous speakers have said, there has never been a public childcare system that is sufficient to meet the needs of families. Deputy Bacik has called for a Donogh O'Malley moment for childcare. It is not just a catchy, zingy phrase. There is real meaning behind it. There is an opportunity now. I know that the Minister has outlined his plans in this area. We need to have a guaranteed publicly-funded childcare space for every child in this country. If we expect people to be able to return to work or be available to work within a number of months of giving birth, it is unconscionable that we expect them to effectively pay a second mortgage to have their children taken care of. For many, there is no way to pay it. For many others who can manage it, there are not enough spaces available. It is a bit of a double whammy.

There are serious problems with Ireland's childcare system. The Minister has outlined his plans for tackling some of them. Places are increasingly limited and costs continue to rise for parents and childcare providers, despite early childhood care and education subsidies. In the past two years, friends have often told me that they can only have one child or cannot have children because they cannot afford, or comprehend how they could afford, childcare. They have told me how one parent would have to give up their job to care for the child. We have a slightly perverse version of State-sanctioned family planning. It is awful to hear such stories. If people want to have families, they should be able to do so. It is sad when I meet my friends and they tell me they cannot afford childcare or cannot comprehend how they could afford it. They are begging, borrowing and stealing childminding hours from family friends and parents. That is sad. It is not how we should be doing things. We have highlighted a lot of that today.

Currently, parents in Dublin can pay as much as €1,000 per month per child, yet low wages are the norm for many of those working in the childcare sector. It is no wonder that we read reports of women having to book their child's childcare place long in advance of the child's birth. There is a scrum to get a place before the child is even born. Providers are saying that places cannot be reserved until the child is born. There is panic. My friend told me she was nearly trying to register her child for a childcare place from her hospital bed. There is a lot of pressure. We need a new approach. We need a publicly-funded, universal and affordable childcare scheme that is available to all. That will require an enormous investment. The Minister has outlined the investments he is planning to make and his plans for the sector. As always, I do not doubt his commitment to the issue. However, an ideological shift is required. It is not just as simple as putting money into it. The conversation is about whether to introduce a public, State-funded childcare system or to continue to try to prop up the system we have. There is a difference between the two approaches.

In addition to the increased concern about the availability of places in future, with many childcare providers having closed during the pandemic, as has been highlighted, significant hikes in costs have also been reported as providers prepare for the new term. The providers are under pressure as well. Our society is only ever as strong as our weakest link. We cannot wait to fix our care failures. I hope the Government considers the Labour Party's proposal for a State-led childcare system that would improve the situation for parents, staff, providers and, most important, children.

My area of responsibility is further and higher education. There are what are considered to be well-subsidised childcare places available in further and higher education, but there are not many. It is a real pot luck situation for students applying for childcare places. Over many years, I have heard stories of many students who have had to withdraw from their studies because of this. Some parents cannot even comprehend being able to study. I am firmly of the belief that everyone should be able to access education. When young mothers, fathers and carers are saying they cannot do so and cannot afford childcare, it is sad. We should not be limiting people's ambitions because we do not have the supports in place for them. As I said, these people are wholly dependent on friends, family and neighbours to fill the gaps. We might be taking the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child a bit too far.

I wish to refer to the SIPTU Big Start campaign. The rates of pay in the childcare sector do not reflect the level of professionalism, skills and qualifications of staff. A colleague of mine, Eilish Balfe, tweeted the following:

33% of the Early years sector now hold a degree or higher. Our sector has come along way. It is a career, it’s not just pocket money... We upskill & strive to give children the best start in life."