Nessa Cosgrove (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Foley, is very welcome. While the title of this debate is childcare, the preferred title for the sector among early years educators is “early childhood care and education and school-age care”. I know that many educators and their trade union SIPTU have communicated this message to the Department of children on many occasions.

The shortening of the title of the debate to childcare can perhaps be seen as indicative of the lack of respect being shown to the sector, which is led by some of the most highly qualified and dedicated women I meet in my day-to-day life. I say "women" because the early years sector is still female dominated, with 98% of those in it women. I am a mother of three children so I have had a lot of interactions with early years educators over the years. This ongoing lack of respect has led to the various crises that engulf the sector today and will continue to engulf it until a radical and total overhaul of this most important element of our economy is addressed and undertaken.

I am talking about the crisis in recruitment and retention of staff, which is fuelled by the crisis in pay and conditions. We have all spoken about this today. I am talking about the shortage of places, particularly for babies - this too has come up loads of times in the debate - and younger children. This crisis is preventing many people, again, chiefly women, from engaging in the workforce. On a single day last June, in Sligo alone five private providers left the sector. One service was taken on by the community, resulting in the net loss of four excellent small service providers. A further provider, a young woman, has confirmed her intention to leave the sector and will close her doors in June 2026.

This week alone, I have been contacted by two Sligo childcare providers, each running a successful preschool service. I know them personally and can attest to their commitment and the quality of their services. One is an honours graduate with experience of lecturing in early years and both are women with immense knowledge and experience of the sector. Each is desperate to exit her private business in a sector which has become so toxic - though I hate to use the word - to many of its leaders. One has identified that going into the area of special needs is more rewarding both professionally and financially and the other would like the State to acquire her business. The women feel taken for granted. They feel the Department of children has no interest in them.

Last week, I got a text from a woman saying that early years providers needed to have a real job with real pay, real benefits and with a real structure to ensure they are eligible for a pension when the time comes. This text sums up how many of the providers are feeling. I know the Minister, Deputy Foley, is new to her role but she must have been aware, when she was in the Department of Education, of the destruction to the sector and the loss of goodwill which came about as a result of the introduction of core funding and the imposition of the chart of accounts upon the sector. I do not work in the early years sector but the name "chart of accounts" and the whole process around it have been raised with me as a local representative so many times. The chart of accounts was introduced without any meaningful consultation with the people who implement it. Many services are struggling to get their chart of accounts done again.

I see I am running out of time. I hope the Minister will listen to the Labour Party recommendation to take over the childcare in situ scheme. We will encourage the move towards a fully publicly funded model for early years childcare.