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Childcare Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2020

Tuesday, 20 October 2020

Questions (465)

Thomas Gould

Question:

465. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration his plans to provide financial support for childcare workers in view of the essential work they are providing at risk to themselves and the urgent need to provide these workers with a living wage. [31714/20]

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Written answers

I fully appreciate the essential role which those working in the early learning and care sector have played in recent months since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On 10 June 2020, a major funding package was announced to facilitate the reopening of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services during the summer, including supporting services to retain their staff in a safe working environment. In this funding package, Government committed to a reopening support payment, a Covid-19 capital grant, continued access to the Revenue-operated Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), and resumption of my Department's ELC and SAC funding schemes.

As part of the July stimulus package ELC and SAC services now have access to the Revenue-operated Employment Wage Subsidy scheme (EWSS), which funds up to €200 per week per staff member. This funding is now secured until 31 March next and I will continue to work to ensure that the needs of the sector are recognised in any reforms of the scheme thereafter. A special exemption for ELC services to the 30% turnover rule within EWSS has been included to recognise the need to retain capacity in the sector and support parents to access childcare places and get back to work.

I am very conscious of the need for improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in ELC and SAC services. 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. The most recent data available indicates that the average hourly wage in the sector was €12.55 in mid-2019. This rate is higher than the "living wage" of €12.30, although I acknowledge that approximately 60% of staff earn less than this wage.

As the State is not the employer, the Deputy will appreciate that my Department does not set wage levels nor determine working conditions for staff working in the sector. My Department has, however, over a number of years provided a range of supports to service providers to enable them to improve wages and working conditions. However, wages in the sector remain too low. As a significant funder of the sector, alongside parents, it is imperative that my Department works with provider representatives and staff representatives to address the issue.

In the medium-term, work that is currently under way to develop a new Funding Model and a Workforce Development Plan may provide new mechanisms by which the State can improve pay and working conditions in the sector. However, I am also keen to take further steps in the short-term that could support pay and working conditions. The Programme for Government commits to establish a Joint Labour Committee for the sector, with a view to developing an Employment Regulation Order.

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