The Minister for Children in Ireland has emphasised the necessity to raise and safeguard the pay for early years educators. He stated this is required to address both hiring and employee retention issues, as well as to recognise the crucial role that staff in the childcare sector play in Irish communities.
Roderic O’Gorman is also considering the development of a state-run early years education scheme. This proposition is inspired by the success of similar public childcare initiatives across various EU countries.
At the Siptu Early Years inaugural conference that took place at Dublin’s Liberty Hall during the weekend, Mr O’Gorman acknowledged the ongoing sentiment of being ‘underappreciated’ amongst early years educators, despite their dedication to children and adolescents.
He highlighted how the pandemic has illuminated the vital contribution of childcare professionals and how indispensable affordable, high-quality childcare is for society’s functioning.
O’Gorman declared at the conference, “It’s unmistakably the case that the State needs to take on a larger role in providing childcare through fresh structures and increased funding”. He also expressed his recognition that the current recompense in the childcare sector is inadequate and does not reflect the importance and scope of the work the educators engage in. He voiced his commitment to promoting future enhancements.
A series of motions were passed during the weekend event; this included a new campaign for a minimum hourly wage of €15 for early years educators, along with requests for State fund allocation to guarantee these finances are strictly used to enhance pay and working conditions.
Gráinne McKenna, an assistant professor from DCU’s institute of education, referenced how the proposed 5 per cent rise in pay will still leave most educators earning below the national living wage of €14.80 per hour. She disappointedly stated that, “It’s deeply sad that we’re debating about compensating the professionals, to whom we entrust the most influential period of a child’s educational journey, a wage that is just slightly lower than the living wage.”
Ms McKenna emphasised at a recent conference that affordable early years education and childcare are foundational elements of our societal structure. She pointed out that without affordable childcare access, the ability of families to find employment can be severely hampered. It would particularly affect children from disadvantaged backgrounds. She went on to insist that state funding needs to be clearly allocated to ensure salary increases for workers rather than being squandered on administration costs or landing in corporate childcare providers’ bank accounts. Ms McKenna expressed serious concerns about the growing presence of venture capitalists and private equity firms in the early childcare sector, calling for political intervention.
Resolutions on addressing worker burnout and stress—a condition reportedly affecting 70% of childcare staff—, as well as public provision of quality, accessible, and affordable childcare on the Emerald Isle, were also approved at the conference.
Chairperson of the early years national committee, Avril Green, stated that the persistent issues of staff shortages, burnout, and insufficient respect for childcare workers continue to have a negative effect on those engaged in the sector. Considering the essential role in the education system they occupy, she said, “Despite the equivalence of our qualifications to those of traditional teachers, our remuneration and recognition are drastically lower. Children acquire more knowledge in their first five years than at any other point in their life. These lessons will shape them throughout their lives.”
The Ministerial spokesperson, Mr O’Gorman, pointed out some positive developments within the sector. He mentioned a considerable 74% enhancement in State funding since 2020, which skyrocketed from €638 million to €1.109 billion by 2024. The initiative by his department to slash childcare costs by half, expected to come into effect in September 2024, is manifesting promising results for parents nationwide. He also highlighted the Nurturing Skills Learner fund’s first phase, set to roll out in May. This fund will provide 400 early years education professionals with financial aid to further their qualifications.