Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 April 2022
147. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on whether childcare providers with staff with additional qualifications should receive additional funding to provide staff with increased wages on the basis of these increased qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18511/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFirst 5, the whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families, recognises that the workforce is at the heart of high-quality early learning and care (ELC). The evidence suggests children achieve better outcomes when staff are well qualified. This is undisputed internationally. First 5 seeks to continue to build an appropriately skilled and sustainable professional workforce, and includes a commitment to achieve a graduate-led workforce by 2028.
In Budget 2022, I announced the introduction of a new Core Funding stream from September 2022. Core Funding has a number of objectives, including to support improved quality, affordability, sustainability and the achievement of the commitment to a graduate-led workforce. It will also support the introduction of an Employment Regulation Order (ERO) to determine minimum rates of pay for workers as well as conditions of employment.
Of the total of €221m in full year costs, €38m is allocated to contribute to support graduates to be Lead Educators across ELC and to support graduates as Managers in ELC or combined ELC and school-age childcare (SAC) services. This aspect of Core Funding will encourage employment of graduates as Lead Educators across all ELC.
A graduate premium is already in operation under the Higher Capitation scheme for the ECCE programme. This has been in place since the ECCE programme was first introduced in 2010. Under Core Funding, the availability of a graduate premium is extended beyond the ECCE programme to all funded provision of ELC.
The graduate premium is specifically for those who are graduates in positions of leadership, either as Manager of a service or as lead educator with a group of children, which may also include leadership or supervision of other staff in the room. It is expected to support the commitments to the strengthening of career pathways for those working in the sector set out in Nurturing Skills, the Workforce Plan for ELC and SAC 2022-2028, which I launched last December.
Supported by the Higher Capitation payments in the ECCE programme, the proportion of staff in ELC services with a relevant degree has risen from 12% in 2012 to 34% in 2021, as reported in Nurturing Skills.
Nurturing Skills makes a number of commitments to support the move to a graduate-led workforce, including the commitment to remove the exclusive link between higher capitation payments and the ECCE programme through Core Funding.
