Brendan Griffin
Question:584. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on a matter (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52868/18]
View answerTuesday, 18 December 2018
Questions (584)
Written answers
I would like to thank the Deputy for raising the matter regarding an Early Learning and Care setting in Co. Kerry.
I am pleased to note that the service in question has successfully availed of the Early Years Capital funding strand provided by my Department.
Clearly the 2018 Early Years and School Age Capital programmes have concluded, and their budget has been allocated in full. Work in my Department is currently being finalised to prepare for the Capital offering for 2019 and an announcement is expected to issue on this shortly. Following this, I will invite services to submit an application under the measure, should they be in a position to meet the specified programme criteria.
Services who are concerned about their future sustainability can also avail of a range of supports offered by my Department. I would advise the service in question to contact both Pobal and Kerry County Childcare Committee, outlining in detail the current situation and the challenges they face. Pobal has a dedicated team that assess services facing crisis situations, and upon reviewing the particulars of the case, they may be in a position to offer valuable operational guidance and support.
I note that the service provider is aware of the recent report circulated from Mercer which was commissioned by the National Childhood Network in conjunction with Crann Support Group. I have been unequivocal in my support for better pay and conditions for staff in the sector. Early Learning and Care practitioners, in pre-school setting and elsewhere, play a critical role for families and they deserve to be recognised, valued and respected for this.
However, my Department is not the employer of early learning and care sector staff and cannot set wage levels. I have supported a range of measures to improve pay and conditions however using the tools available to me. In particular, my Department has seen a 117% increase in investment in the sector over the last four budgets. Twice as many children are receiving Government childcare subsidies than were doing so three years ago. The number of services is remaining relatively the same, so this increased investment should be seen in staff working conditions. The 7% increase in ECCE capitation this September and the €55 million in Programme Support Payments which will, by the end of next year, have been paid to services over a three year period, are particular features of the increased investment.
I am aware of the difficulties reported by providers in recruiting staff. I am seeking continued investment to address this issue and to address the wider issue of attracting and retaining staff across the early years sector.
The evidence from the latest Pobal report shows an 8% increase in staff in the sector in this year alone and a continued growth in the proportion of staff with specialised third-level qualifications in Early Learning and Care. Turnover of staff in the sector has also decreased by 3%, but it remains unacceptably high and it is the case that more must be done to retain early years staff to ensure high quality services to our children.
Under First 5, a Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, published last month, my Department and the Department of Education and Skills have committed to delivering a new Workforce Development Plan for the early learning and care sector. The Workforce Development Plan will examine and address the impact of a rapidly changing policy and practice landscape in the sector on future skills requirements, so that Government can ensure that a high quality workforce is in place over the next decade. Work on the plan will begin early in 2019.