Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú) | Oireachtas source

Across the childcare sector there is huge frustration among service providers, staff and families. In March, the Government approved fee hikes in nearly 20% of childcare providers in the country. These hikes directly contradict the promises outlined in the programme for Government, which committed to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 a month per child. The caring professions are often praised as career paths that add incredible value to the country. These individuals are told the work they do is invaluable, and it is not unusual to hear people say these roles are like a vocation.

Remarkably, however, when I speak to people who work as early-years educators, they tell me they would discourage anyone from pursuing a career in the sector. The CEO of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers recently spoke of massive staff retention issues, with providers feeling burned out and underpaid. The starting rate for these positions is €13.65 per hour, only 15 cent more than the minimum wage and €1 less than the living wage. We are expecting people to take on these incredibly emotionally and physically taxing roles but do not compensate them for the work. We will not see an increase in childcare places if we do not immediately provide the financial compensation needed to keep childcare workers in the industry and encourage young people to pursue this career pathway.

We lack imagination on childcare issues. In an Amárach Research poll last year, more than two thirds of mothers polled said they would rather stay at home with their children were it financially possible. Why do we put no focus on supporting those people, predominantly women, who want to stay at home as parents? They provide a valuable service to the State and the country but they receive no financial assistance or supports. Aontú wants an additional, means-tested, second rate of child benefit to be introduced. It could see 40,000 children lifted out of poverty and would significantly ease financial pressure for families. We also want to introduce a €3,000 childcare subvention for parents who choose to stay at home in the first three years of the child’s life. Creating an environment where that was possible would take pressure off the demand for additional childcare places but would also allow families to make the best decisions for themselves, based on their own desires and needs.