Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion. I pay tribute to Senator Sherlock for the terrific work she has put into the motion on behalf of our Labour Party colleagues. I acknowledge the advancements in core funding and the work done regarding pay.

I want to concentrate on rural areas where there are issues. I am sure the Minister of State is familiar with the issues in her area. In rural Kildare a number of service providers have said they are no longer in a position to provide services. I spoke to them in recent days. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has said the evidence available is that funding is sufficient to meet the needs of all childcare services and is quoted as saying an independent review could form the basis on which targeted measures, if required, could be taken.

Service providers in Kildare have asked me what will happen to them in the year to come. In some cases they welcome the independent review. One owner told me she is the bank manager and knows what is going out every week and the cost of providing childcare. She told me her service opened in 2007 and the staff have been with her since. She has to cover 130 hours per week between all staff. She told me core funding has increased by 4 cent per child per hour and is completely meaningless because, at less than €50 per week, it has been completely absorbed by inflation. The cost of cleaning supplies, craft supplies, heating and ESB have all gone through the roof. All of that is coming out of her bank account.

The Minister has insisted core funding is the only thing that will increase going forward and there will be no increase in the basic ECCE. He is, in effect, telling this owner she is stuck on the same money for years and things will never improve. That is her opinion and the opinion of many others. There are currently 44 families in her service and she has said she will have to reduce that number by 25%. In a small rural town in Kildare, 34 places will be lost, which will have a detrimental effect. The places will not be replaced. This is something that is being replicated in many other places.

The independent review the Minister of State spoke about cannot come quickly enough for small providers. In many cases, small providers are family-run services and provide sustainable employment. They pay their staff, they want and they are reaching out for it, but they are not getting it at the moment.

Senator Sherlock outlined the motion. I acknowledge all of those in childcare. When I knock on doors in Kildare South, something the Minister of State probably does in Galway, people tell me childcare is a major issue. It is a second mortgage. That is why we are bringing this motion forward.