Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 June 2022
38. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to address the current recruitment crisis within the childcare sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28263/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra63. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to address the current retention crisis within the childcare sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28264/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 63 together.
I acknowledge that many early learning and care and school-age childcare services are reporting staffing difficulties with staff recruitment and retention. My Department continues to monitor the issue.
According to the Annual Early Years Sector Profile, the annual staff turnover rate across the sector was 19% in 2021, which was down from 23% in 2019 but remains high. While at least 28% of these moved to another service in the sector, others left the sector.
In 2021, while 57% of services reported no staff turnover, when the size of service is taken into account, as much as 70% of small services retained all their staff, compared to 39% of medium-sized services and 27% of large services.
In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover, and recruitment and staff retention difficulties are undoubtedly linked to pay and conditions, with for example the average pay being €12.60 per hour in 2021.
However, as the State does not employ early years educators or school-age childcare practitioners, I cannot set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector. My Department has, over a number of years provided a range of supports to service providers to enable them to improve wages and working conditions.
In December last, I published Nurturing Skills, the Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022 to 2028. Actions in Nurturing Skills to develop career pathways and promote careers in the sector will complement efforts to improve pay and conditions of employment, to make the sector more attractive to potential workers.
A key enabler for Nurturing Skills will be the Joint Labour Committee for Early Years Services. I began a process in December 2020, which examined the possibility of regulating pay and conditions and the suitability of a Joint Labour Committee for the sector. This process culminated in the establishment of a Joint Labour Committee, which began meeting in December 2021. The Joint Labour Committee continues to meet.
In Budget 2022, I announced a new €221m Core Funding stream which, among other objectives, will support service providers to meet new higher minimum rates of pay that may be negotiated through the Joint Labour Committee.
