Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on progress towards implementation of the new Employee Regulation Order for the early years' sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56878/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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With effect from the 15th of September this year, two new Employment Regulation Orders for Early Years Services came into effect which provide for minimum hourly rates of pay and other conditions of employment for various roles both in early learning and care services and in school-age childcare services.

The ability of service providers to meet the additional costs resulting from the Employment Regulation Orders is supported by the new Core Funding scheme I have introduced, which provides increases in funding to early learning and care services and in school-age childcare services to support improvements in staff wages, alongside a commitment to freeze parental fees. Core Funding also commenced on 15 September.

As the State does not employ early years educators or school-age childcare practitioners, I cannot set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector. For that reason I am not in position to comment on how the Employment Regulation Orders are being implemented in individual services. However, any breaches of an Employment Regulation Order may be referred to the Workplace Relations Commission for appropriate action.