Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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75. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline actions she is taking to support staff retention in community childcare facilities. [32394/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In a very competitive labour market and with low levels of unemployment, recruitment and retention is a challenge for all employers, especially in low-paid sectors.

Data from the 2023 Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey shows the national turnover rate for the sector was approximately 25%, however the turnover rate of Community service was significantly lower at approximately 20%. I should also note that 2024 data on the number of educators/practitioners shows an increase of 2.5% in the number staff working with children in Community services.

The Government also supports recruitment of staff specifically in the Community services through the Department of Social Protection's Community Employment Scheme. In 2024, this scheme supported over 660 staff working in Community early learning and childcare services.

In general, the challenges faced by both Community and Private services are not caused by insufficient supply of staff, but by high levels of turnover.The Joint Labour Committee process is the mechanism by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates, which are set down in law through Employment Regulation Orders. Outcomes from the Joint Labour Committee process are supported by Government through Core Funding, which has seen its allocation increase from €259 million in year 1 to €350 million for the coming year 2025/2026.An additional €45 million has been ring-fenced to support employers meet the costs of further increases to the minimum rates of pay. This allocation is conditional on updated Employment Regulation Orders.

I recently met with Joint Labour Committee representatives, to acknowledge their important role and emphasise Government’s expectation that any newly negotiated Orders fully utilise the funding made available by this Government through the Core Funding Scheme.