Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1117. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason that early year educators are not recognised as official educators with an appropriate pay scale the same as that for primary school teachers despite having the same if not more inspections than primary schools, including inspections from the Department of Education and Science; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19701/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, the State is not the employer of early years educators or school-age childcare practitioners, and my Department does not set wage levels nor determine working conditions for staff in the sector. However, I am very conscious of the need for significant improvement in their pay and working conditions. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy, and I am doing all that is in my power to address the issue.

I began a process in December 2020, which examined the possibility of regulating pay and conditions and the suitability of a Joint Labour Committee for the sector. This process culminated in the establishment of a Joint Labour Committee, which began meeting in December 2021.

In Budget 2022, I announced a new Core Funding stream which, among other objectives, will support service providers to meet new higher rates of pay that may be negotiated through the Joint Labour Committee.

In December 2021, I launched Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028, which aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in early learning and care and school-age childcare.

Early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders play a key role in supporting children’s development and well-being, working in partnership with families. Recognising their central importance for the quality of provision, Nurturing Skills aims to support the professional development of the workforce and raise the profile of careers in the sector.