Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
968. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a matter in relation to persons working in the early years childhood sector (details supplied) will be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54049/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank Deputy Healy-Rae for his question regarding the Early Learning and Care sector.
I have been unequivocal in my support for better pay and conditions for Early Learning and Care staff. Early Learning and Care practitioners play a critical role in supporting young children's early learning and development and providing a safe and caring environment. They deserve to be recognised, valued and respected for this.
While my Department funds a wide range of initiatives to support the quality, affordability and accessibility of early learning and care services, the State is not the employer of staff in this sector and cannot set wage levels. The large majority of Early Learning and Care settings are private businesses (74% according to the most recent figures from Pobal), with the remainder being independent community-based organisations (26%).This is an entirely different context to the situation regarding primary and post-primary educators. Given this context, there are limits to the actions my Department can take.
I have repeatedly called for the Early Learning and Care sector to pursue a Sectoral Employment Order, which offers a viable mechanism to establish appropriate wage levels. As the Deputy will be aware, neither I nor my officials can initiate a Sectoral Employment Order, but my Department will readily co-operate with such a process, if and when it is underway.
I have also supported a range of measures to improve pay and conditions using the tools available to me. In particular, DCYA has introduced additional capitation into funding programmes for early learning and care, including a 7% rise this September in the ECCE capitation rate, as well as Programme Support Payments to recognise the administrative roles that services play. I have also continued to provide a higher rate of capitation payment for graduate-led pre-school rooms, to encourage the attraction and retention of Early Learning and Care graduates. Last year I also introduced a pilot measure for funding services whose staff take part in continuing professional development, and I hope to build on this pilot over the years to come, following an evaluation.
I have encouraged services to use such additional funding to support the pay and conditions of the hard-working frontline staff that make such a lasting difference to children's lives. I was pleased to see that the most recent annual sector profile published by Pobal showed an increase in the average wage in the sector from €11.93 per hour in 2017 to €12.17 in 2018, but I acknowledge that there is a long way to go before staff have the wages and working conditions that reflect the importance of the work they do.
My Department has also commissioned an Independent Review of the Cost of Delivering Quality Childcare, which is examining the factors that impact on the cost of delivering quality childcare, including staff wages. When complete, this will inform policy development and funding decisions.
Following the publication of First Five, in which the Government committed to move to a graduate-led Early Learning and Care workforce by 2028, work will commence shortly on developing a Workforce Plan to achieve this commitment.
