Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1720. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childcare workers that earn less than the living wage of €12.30 per hour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36872/19]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1721. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childcare workers that receive unemployment benefit or allowance during the summer months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36873/19]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1722. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childcare workers in receipt of the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36874/19]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1723. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average rate of pay for a graduate childcare worker; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36875/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1720 to 1723, inclusive, together.

The most recent data available on rates of pay for staff working in early learning and care services dates from mid-2018 and is drawn from Pobal's Early Years Sector Profile for 2017/18. According to this report, at that time the average rate of pay for staff working directly with children was €12.17 per hour. Those with relevant third-level degrees had wages higher than the average. The average rates of pay for graduates at that time were €13.56 for those with qualifications at Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications, €13.09 for those with Level 8 qualifications, and €14.59 for those with qualifications at Levels 9 or 10.

At the time that survey was carried out, the so-called "living wage" (as determined by the Living Wage Technical Group, led by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice) was €11.90 per hour. At that time, data from Pobal indicated that 55% of staff earned less than the "living wage". It would not be appropriate to compare wages in mid-2018 with the "living wage" determined for 2019 by the Living Wage Technical Group, as wages may have risen since mid-2018. Data from the 2019 survey of early learning and care providers is currently being analysed by Pobal and will be available in the coming months. At that point it will be possible to estimate the proportion of staff who today earn less than the 2019 "living wage" of €12.30 per hour.

I have no data available to me on the number of workers in early learning and care services that receive unemployment benefit or allowance during the summer months or the number of such workers in receipt of the working family payment. 

As the State is not the employer, my Department does not pay the wages of staff working in early learning and care settings, and I cannot therefore determine wages or working conditions in the sector. I am, however, doing all that is in my power to improve wages and working conditions. I have repeatedly called for the sector to pursue a Sectoral Employment Order, which offers a viable mechanism to establish appropriate wage levels. My Department will readily co-operate with such a process when it is under way.

In the interim, I have introduced a range of measures to support employers to improve pay and conditions. These include a 7% increase in ECCE capitation in 2018; higher capitation payments for graduates and Inclusion Coordinators; annual Programme Support Payments to recognise administrative demands; support for school-age childcare, which will make it easier for service providers to offer staff full-time employment contracts; and a pilot measure to fund participation in CPD. In addition, work has commenced on the development of a Workforce Development Plan, which will identify practical steps to achieve First 5 commitments relating to the workforce, including moving to a graduate-led workforce by 2028.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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1724. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of taking on the cost of all private childcare classroom staff at all levels nationwide; the number of childcare staff employed by private, not community run crèches at level 5, 6 and 7 based on current numbers. [36938/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The most recent data available on numbers of staff working in early learning and care services dates from mid-2018 and is set out in Pobal's Early Years Sector Profile Report of 2017/18. At that time Pobal estimated there to be 25,893 staff working directly with children, of whom 65% or approximately 16,800 were working in private services. Of this number, Pobal reported that 27% or approximately 4,600 had relevant qualifications at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications, 44% or approximately 7,500 had qualifications at Level 6, and 7.5% or approximately 1,300 had qualifications at Level 7. In addition, 17% or approximately 2,900 had qualifications at Level 8 or higher, while 3.6% or approximately 600 had either no qualifications or qualifications at less than Level 5. This latter group included staff who had signed the 'grandfather declaration' allowing them to remain working in the sector without qualifications until September 2021, as well as staff who work solely with school-age children, in relation to whom there is currently no minimum qualification requirement.

As the State is not the employer, my Department does not pay the wages of staff working in early learning and care settings, and I am therefore not in a position to estimate what the cost to the State would be if it were to take on the direct employment of all staff currently working in private early learning and care services.

I am, however, doing all that is in my power to improve wages and working conditions in the sector. I have repeatedly called for the sector to pursue a Sectoral Employment Order, which offers a viable mechanism to establish appropriate wage levels. My Department will readily co-operate with such a process when it is under way.

In the interim, I have introduced a range of measures to support employers to improve pay and conditions. These include a 7% increase in ECCE capitation in 2018; higher capitation payments for graduates and Inclusion Coordinators; annual Programme Support Payments to recognise administrative demands; support for school-age childcare, which will make it easier for service providers to offer staff full-time employment contracts; and a pilot measure to fund participation in CPD. In addition, work has commenced on the development of a Workforce Development Plan, which will identify practical steps to achieve First 5 commitments relating to the workforce, including moving to a graduate-led workforce by 2028.