Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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239. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is an alternative plan in place in the event that the Joint Labour Committee recommendation on pay and conditions in the early learning and school age care sector is not in place by autumn 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8848/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Improving pay and conditions for those working in the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) sector is a key priority, particularly given the significant impacts of pay and conditions on quality for children.

The Programme for Government committed to supporting the establishment of a Joint Labour Committee (JLC) in the sector and the drawing up of an Employment Regulation Order (ERO). I initiated a pre-JLC process in December 2020, and Kevin Duffy was appointed to chair and facilitate this. The process provided stakeholders with an opportunity to express their views and to debate the implications of a system of regulating pay and conditions of employment in the sector.

It was generally accepted that additional public funding is the only viable means by which the problem of inadequate pay levels can be addressed. The report on the pre-JLC process states that if additional funding is to become available so as to assist in providing ELC and SAC workers with pay rates that are commensurate with the requirements of their job, it is imperative that arrangements are in place to ensure that it is used for that purpose. It also states that all parties who participated in the process of engagement agreed that the establishment of a JLC is the most appropriate means by which pay and conditions of employment in the sector can be addressed.

I was happy to see this result in an Establishment Order being signed by Minister English which came into effect in July and JLC members being appointed in November. This JLC is now meeting and considering the issues.

Separately, an Expert Group was established in September 2019 to develop a new funding model for ELC and SAC. Their report, Partnership for the Public Good: A new Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, was published on 7 December 2021 following consideration by Government and acceptance of its 25 recommendations. Work has now commenced on implementation of these recommendations.

I was very happy to have had the opportunity to meet the chair of the Expert Group in advance of the Estimates process to allow the emerging recommendations of the Group to inform the package of measures announced in Budget 2022.

In particular, a new Core Funding stream for services to support improved quality, affordability, and sustainability and the drawing up of an ERO is being introduced and will be worth up to €69 million for a part year (September-December) in 2022, equivalent to €207 million in full year costs.

Partnership for the Public Good acknowledges the risk of the JLC failing to put in place an ERO, and suggests not proceeding with the extra funding for Core Funding to support the JLC in that event.  The report also emphasises that the main risk of failing to tackle staff pay and conditions is the impact on quality for children it would have.

Given that part of the objective of Core Funding is to support an ERO, if one is not agreed, Core Funding as announced in Budget 2022 cannot proceed. Approximately two thirds of the funding for Core Funding is intended to contribute to improved pay rates across different categories of staff.

This portion of the budget cannot be made available without assurances that this funding will be channelled towards achieving the intended policy objective of improved pay rates in the ELC and SAC sector. Core Funding is therefore largely contingent on an ERO being agreed.

I understand that the parties involved in the JLC are working intensively together to agree an ERO. Officials in my Department have been supporting this process by providing data and addressing technical queries from the JLC. 

I am very hopeful that the parties to the JLC will come to an agreement, given the very substantial public funding available and the importance of improving staff pay.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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240. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the process his Department will put in place once the decision is made relating to Joint Labour Committee recommendations regarding pay and conditions in the early learning and school age care sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8849/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on these matters which are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.