Laura Harmon (Labour)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. It is a really important and timely debate that we are having on childcare. I welcome and support the Sinn Féin motion.

It is really hard for people working in the sector to stay in the sector. My friend and colleague, Councillor Ciara O'Connor, who works in Cork city, left the profession that she deeply loves because she could not afford to work in it any more in terms of the pay and conditions. She hopes one day that she can go back to it again, but at the minute, like many of her colleagues, she did not find it a viable profession, even though she is extremely qualified. They need to be treated and valued the same as other educators in the State. It is often those working in early years settings who pick up if children might have additional needs or if there is something going on at home that needs to be alerted. They are often at the coal face and front line of a child's development. We know the years from zero to five are so impactful for how the rest of someone's life will pan out. It is really disappointing that the pre-election promises of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to cap childcare costs at €200 per month have not been fulfilled. We need to work toward this reduction in costs for parents.

Just last night, I was speaking to a family who are paying €2,000 for childcare. It is more than their mortgage. I know from other parents that it is affecting how they plan for their families; for example, whether they can afford to have another child. We know a lot of providers are questioning whether they can afford to stay in the sector. We need to move towards a public model of childcare where waiting lists are minimal, where the service is of a high quality, where workers' pay and conditions are fair, and where it is sustainable for providers.