Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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604. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide funding to implement the recommendation from the Workplace Relations Commission to upgrade the pay scale of county childcare managers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1169/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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629. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of progress relating to the implementation of the recommendation from the Workplace Relations Commission to amend the pay scale for county childcare managers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1170/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 604 and 629 together.

Officials of my Department are currently reviewing the Workplace Relations Commission's consideration of the pay rates of the managers of the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs).

The CCCs are one of the key support mechanisms of my Department, and I want to acknowledge the important role they play in providing vital support and guidance to early learning and care and school age childcare providers, and to parents. CCCs act as the local agent of my Department in the coordination and delivery of the national early education and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy at a local level, and in facilitating and supporting the development of quality, accessible ELC and SAC services for the overall benefit of children and their parents.

In 2005 the Minister for Finance sanctioned the rates payable to CCC managers as comparable to the rates applicable in the Local Authorities for Grade 6. Officials from my Department have been engaging with representatives from the CCCs, including both manager and Board of Management representatives, in relation to a proposal for a review of the grading of CCC managers.

Officials from my Department will continue to engage with all parties on this matter as appropriate. A submission has recently been received from a CCC Board of Management on this issue and is being reviewed. It is important to note in this regard that although my Department provides annual funding to the CCCs in respect of all areas of expenditure, including salaries, it is not the employer of CCC staff, and the staff are not public sector employees.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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605. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the arrangements being made to ensure childcare for preschool and school-age children is available to front-line staff in the health services and other essential services while schools remain closed and many childcare centres are not in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1666/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department issued detailed guidance to all early learning and care and school age childcare services on Friday 8 January regarding the provision of services for children of essential workers and for vulnerable children during Level 5 Restrictions until 1 February 2021.

All early learning and care and school age childcare services, with the exception of services which provide the ECCE programme only, are expected to be open for parents who are essential workers and for vulnerable children from Monday, 11 January, unless the service has been instructed to close by public health authorities or has been given force majeure permission to close.

Information for parents is also available on my Department's website in a document entitled 'FAQs for Parents of Children in Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Services'.

If any parents with eligible children are having difficulty accessing a childcare place they should contact their local County Childcare Committee (CCC) who will be able to advise them. Parents can find the contract details for their local CCC on the website myccc.ie.