Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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1441. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 835 and 837 of 7 March 2017 and 660 of 23 May 2017, the estimated full-year cost of paying ECCE workers the living wage of €11.50 per hour at the current 38 week term; and the estimated cost of paying ECCE workers the living wage of €11.50 per hour for 41 and 44 weeks of the year, respectively. [35905/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department provides standard capitation of €64.50 per week and higher capitation of €75.00 per week for childcare places under the ECCE Scheme. Given that it is a matter for each individual employer to determine the allocation of staff, resources and ratios (subject to the governing provisions with regard to ratios) from this capitation rate, it is not possible to estimate the full cost of paying all ECCE workers the living wage of €11.50 per hour for 38, 41 and 44 weeks respectively.

I would like to highlight that while the Department is not an employer of childcare workers it is a significant funder of childcare services and very conscious that there is an issue with regard to the pay and conditions of workers in the sector. Currently, there is no formal employer or employee (trade union) representation in place for the child care sector. Such representation will be central to progressing the issue of pay and conditions in the sector, through an established industrial relations mechanism such as a Sectoral Employment Order.