Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 December 2020
161. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to make the necessary funding available for the implementation of the Workplace Relations Commission's agreement of August 2019 between a union (details supplied) and city and county childcare committees. [42466/20]
View answerOfficials of my Department are currently reviewing the Workplace Relations Commission's consideration of the pay rates of the managers of the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs).
The CCCs are one of the key support mechanisms of my Department, and I want to acknowledge the important role they play in providing vital support and guidance to early learning and care and school age childcare providers, and to parents. CCCs act as the local agent of my Department in the coordination and delivery of the national early education and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy at a local level, and in facilitating and supporting the development of quality, accessible ELC and SAC services for the overall benefit of children and their parents.
In 2005 the Minister for Finance sanctioned the rates payable to CCC managers as comparable to the rates applicable in the Local Authorities for Grade 6. Officials from my Department have been engaging with representatives from the CCCs, including both manager and Board of Management representatives, and their union representatives, in relation to a proposal for a review of the grading of CCC managers.
Officials from my Department will continue to engage with all parties on this matter as appropriate. It is important to note in this regard that although my Department provides annual funding to the CCCs in respect of all areas of expenditure, including salaries, it is not the employer of CCC staff, and the staff are not public sector employees. Officials have discussed this issue with employer representatives in the last week, and I understand that they intend to make a submission to the Department shortly.
