Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State for speaking about her views on what needs to be done and for relaying the Minister's comments. I thank everybody who has stayed on to contribute to the debate because it was a constructive one. There is a lot more that unites us than divides us in this Chamber, even if the amendment to the motion might suggest slightly differently. I communicated to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, this morning that I wanted to conduct this debate this evening in a constructive way acknowledging the progress that has been made. I also wanted to make a direct appeal and plea to him that there are urgent needs in the sector. While there are reviews under way, we need to see progress and we need to see it soon. That is why the motion specifically calls for specific emergency capital funding to address that supply shortfall in certain areas. It is disappointing that the Department's perspective on this is to dismiss the research which it will be aware of. This research was conducted by the Childhood Development Initiative for young people at risk and involved a subgroup of the Dublin North East Inner City taskforce, on which an official from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, sits. The Department is aware of the shortages in the inner city and that one in four children in the inner city cannot access a preschool place. We can continue to debate that but it is important to put on the record, notwithstanding what the Department is saying about what has been built in recent years, that we are not seeing that in the inner city of Dublin.

The other thing I want to say, which has been referred to by a number of Senators, is that it is wonderful that we finally have recognition of the professionals working in the early years sector. People who have undertaken years of study, because they want to work in the early years sector, are finally recognised. However, there needs to be a continued progression of pay year-on-year. Their pay rates remain far too low. Even this week I was talking to an early years provider that is paying €17 per hour for those coming in the door. It is not the €13 per hour basic rate that is part of the employment regulation order, and they are still finding it massively difficult to recruit and retain staff, and we need to look at that. Part of it is because of the status and the lack of respect there has traditionally been over the years towards the early years sector. If somebody had an interest in this they would go into primary school teaching as opposed to working in the early years sector. We need to change that and that requires continued year-on-year progress. It is also important to acknowledge the massive effort of the Big Start campaign over many years, along with other organisations, in highlighting that particular element of needing to respect professionals and improve the terms and conditions of professionals in the early years sector. Senator Carrigy spoke about the aims of the scheme and there is an irony whereby we have July provision for primary schools but we do not have any July provision for the aid scheme. I said earlier that is only part of ECCE and it is not continued beyond those hours so massive reform needs to take place there.

Senator Hoey spoke about the impact on women. We have a weekly gender pay gap in this country of about 22.4%. People talk about the hourly pay gap but who looks at their hourly pay? We think in terms of what we get paid per week. That gap exists because women work fewer hours and because they get paid less. Ultimately we must have a universally available childcare system in this country at an affordable rate. Our call to cap childcare fees at €200 would only cost €275 million per year. That is not massive money in the context of what the State is generating in tax revenues. While I welcome the constructive nature of the debate this evening, we are disappointed that the Department has not engaged with what we see as a severe supply issue. Senator Dolan talked about the school meals, which is a simple initiative that could be rolled out across the country. Unfortunately we cannot support the Government's amendment because it does not even acknowledge there is a shortage of places in some parts of the country. On that note I want to thank everybody who has been here for the debate. No doubt we will continue the conversation because together we all have to push for a better early years system in this country.