Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Senators for their detailed contributions. Senator Garvey made the point that I had the opportunity to visit the childcare centre in Inagh when I was down in County Clare recently.It is a community service in a rural area. It has a baby room, an ECCE service, school-age childcare and general childcare. These services are all small but all elements are offered. Those concerned were extremely happy with what was being provided under core funding. Contrary to what has been said by some, core funding does not just benefit big services; it also benefits small services with several elements. That is important to mention as an example.

Senator Flynn spoke about the importance of supporting rural childcare. I am very aware of that. Coming from a very urban area, I am very much aware that we have to support services in all parts of our country. Senators Boyhan and Flynn spoke about children who are most at risk of disadvantage. Senator Boyhan referred to some Traveller children and Senator Flynn referred to children from migrant groups and disadvantaged backgrounds. A key step already taken is the removal of the wraparound hours. That was really important. We were able to bring in the arrangement early. We thought we would have to do so in September but we did so in May. It means that children with no parent in work or education will not be deducted hours during term time. That is particularly important in school-age childcare. The application of the former rule had a particularly negative effect on school-age childcare provision for Travellers. The rule has now been reversed, which is really important. The Senator and I discussed this in respect of services. I discussed it with several service providers in Dundalk also. This step taken was really important and significant.

On Senator Flynn’s comments on educational disadvantage, I am very much aware that the take-up under the ECCE programme is 10% lower for Traveller children than children in the settled community. I am really worried about that because, on day one in junior infants, a gap has already been created. I am working on the early years aspect and also on the equality aspect. The Travel and Roma unit is working on doing something to address this. I am very conscious of it.

Senator McGreehan spoke about options. They are essential, and that is why we have added significantly to parental leave to give parents the opportunity to stay at home in the first weeks. When I started, the period of paid leave was two weeks per parent. By July, it will be seven. That is a really important extension. By the end of this term, I hope to introduce the work–life balance Bill, which will introduce several important measures. It will be tight if we are to introduce it at the end of this term. At the end of this term, we might have one or two late nights with the Senators. To refer to what Senator Hoey mentioned, I am afraid those evenings will not be work–life-balance evenings. However, the work will be important.

The childminding action plan recognises that many parents rely on childminders. It is a question of bringing them into the State system in respect of regulation but also in respect of access to the national childcare scheme.

Senator McGreehan is absolutely right about the professionalisation of the sector. Several others have spoken about that also. We have Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare 2022-2028 and we are seeking to develop that. We are linking it with better rates of pay, which I will revert to later.

Reference was made to the support of Fianna Fáil regarding further investment. Core funding is the start. It is a start, but a very significant start. I remind those service providers that are concerned about core funding that this is year one. We are seeking to build on it. In next year’s budget, budget 2023, affordability for parents will be my core focus. I am referring to affordability through the national childcare scheme. I disagree slightly on the point made on the scheme in that I believe it is the way to go. This year, we are broadening it so every child between zero and 15 will be able to avail of it. It used to be for those up to the age of three; now it will cover those all the way up to 15. The scheme is designed to target all parents irrespective of their income group. We just need to put the money into the scheme. That is the most effective way to have a direct impact on what parents are paying. It directly decreases the amount they pay for childcare. That is much more targeted than using the taxation system. When there is a high cost of living but also high inflation, a targeted approach like this one is really valuable. I hope it attracts support across the House.

Senator Seery Kearney spoke about the undervaluing of childcare staff in the past. Senator Warfield and others also spoke about it. That is why the joint labour committee and the employment regulation order were so important and why I am so happy we are seeing real progress in this regard. A basic rate of €13 per hour, which is higher than the living wage, will be set for the first time. It is higher than the average rate of pay in the sector at present, according to the sector profile. Further work is taking place within the joint labour committee to deliver other rates for those with more experience. The Senator and I spoke about the joint labour committee quite a bit when I took on this role, so I am very happy with and really welcome the involvement of all the parties to deliver on that.

Senator Seery Kearney spoke about supply but also about planning. I was delighted to hear this was mentioned because, as it happened, the assistant secretary in the early years division, Dr. Anne-Marie Brooks, and I had a meeting with several county and city planners yesterday specifically on the 2001 planning guidelines, whether they are delivering and how they can be improved. It involved a call for housing, obviously, but I wanted to hear directly about the experience of planners. We met planners from Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dublin City Council and several others. It was a really interesting meeting. It was a first step. Knowing the significant amount of housing that will be built privately and by the State in the coming years, the rule stipulating a childcare facility must be installed if there are 75 units and how the rule is not delivering — there are various reasons, some legitimate and others less so — it is a matter of determining how we can design the planning system to allow us to have more but appropriately designed childcare facilities as we expand the number of houses.

Senator Warfield spoke about the underfunded system and where we stand in the EU. He is absolutely right in this regard. It is important to note, however, that the OECD, in its review of Ireland, specifically noted the change in approach here, the additional investment and the research undertaken to chart a new direction. The Senator asked several specific questions, including on services whose sustainability is still in question. The core funding will address sustainability issues for the vast majority of services but we still have the sustainability fund for services in difficulty. A service might have significant debts built up over a period. The fund requires a service to open its books, which is understandable if the State is providing additional support. The support is attached to court funding.

Services that do not sign up for core funding still have access to the standard ECCE capitation rates and the national childcare scheme. They do not have access to the higher ECCE capitation or the programme support payment as they have been folded into the core funding service.

Senator Currie spoke about supply. She is absolutely right. The work we are starting with planners to examine the guidelines is part of the process. Another element is the capital investment programme. My Department has €70 million under the national development plan for supporting capital investment in childcare. Next year, we will be introducing an application programme for existing services that are seeking to upgrade or expand, and the following year we will be introducing a capital programme for brand new services. That is how the roll-out will occur.

Another key element is core funding. Core funding is designed to offer a greater reward regarding those elements of childcare that are most expensive, such as a baby room, recognising that the number of staff has to be much higher in a baby room and that the cost is much higher as a consequence. Core funding arrangements recognise this and provide more where a service is providing a baby room.

Senator Dolan referred to population flux.That is another reason core funding is so important. Core funding is based on capacity and not take-up. Right now, the ECCE and the NCS are based on take-up. We know from demographics that the population bulge is moving up and is now moving past the ECCE stage. Many ECCE services around the country may find they are not filling 11 or 22 spaces. Core funding rewards them for having 11 or 22 spaces. If a service only has eight, or even seven, spaces this year, it will continue to be rewarded for its capacity. That is an important point. It provides stability in terms of overall supply.

I have spoken to the point made by Senator Fitzpatrick on accessibility in respect of the matters raised by Senators Currie and Seery Kearney. In terms of affordability, the NCS is where we are at. That is where I will make my push in this year's budget. There is strong support across all Government parties. This year, we have worked for services and childcare professionals. Once core funding is signed up, we will deliver on that. Next year, the focus has to be affordability.

I had a very useful discussion with Senator Chambers. A significant part of core funding is focused directly on rewarding graduates. We may need to be clearer on that, but it is very much part of the core funding element. As I said earlier, this is year one of core funding. We are only asking people to sign up for one year, and I ask services to try it for this one year. The fee freeze is for one year and is linked to that. Services should try it because it is where the focus of the Government is in terms of trying to support services.

In response to Senator Hoey on the guarantee of a childcare space for everybody, I must point out that we want to put the ECCE scheme on a statutory basis and ensure children will have a statutory entitlement to a two-year free ECCE service. This recognises that ECCE will always be at the centre of our childcare offering. I agree with her about a family-friendly Oireachtas. Tomorrow we will be in the Dáil until at least 9.30 p.m, and that is an early Wednesday. Both Houses of the Oireachtas have a lot more to do in terms of recognising that constant late-night sittings are contrary to what we are talking about in debates like this.