Childcare services report in six months, Alex White tells Dáil

An interdepartmental group examining childcare services will report to the Government in six months, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has said. Alex White said the group, set up by Minister for Children Dr James Reilly, would conduct a focus study and set out the Government's approach to future investment in that area. "This applies to the early years and school-age children," Mr White added.

He was replying, at Opposition Leaders' Questions, to the technical group's representative, Independent TD Tom Fleming, who said a protest outside Leinster House on Tuesday had highlighted low levels of investment and the high cost for parents.

“Some 25,000 staff are employed and, in many cases, they are on low wages and have temporary contracts,” Mr Fleming said. “Many people engaged in childcare services are earning little more than the minimum wage.” The services, he added, were losing qualified, experienced and professional people who could no longer afford to remain in the profession.

“It is time the Government steps in, recognises and accepts that it has a responsibility to provide sufficient funding to ensure high quality and delivery of service is maintained,” Mr Fleming said.

Spending on early childhood care and education should be increased from the current level of 0.2 per cent of GDP to the European average of 0.7 per cent.

“Parents are paying as much as they can and service providers are already struggling to meet their staff costs, overheads and running costs,” Mr Fleming added. “Recognition must be given to the preschool stage as a critical and integral part of the delivery of early childhood services as part of educational services.”

Mr White said the Government would invest €260 million in childcare this year, supporting its provision for more than 100,000 children in the State. “Despite budgetary pressures, the Government is determined to protect the early childhood care and education programme so that children continue to have access to this vital opportunity and to protect the employment of thousands of child care workers,” the Minister added.