Kathleen Funchion: Calls for urgent reform of early years childcare
Kathleen Funchion addressed the Dáil on 5 October 2021, pressing for urgent reform of the early years and childcare system. She said the current funding model is failing families, educators and providers and urged affordable, accessible and sustainable investment starting in next week's budget.
Early years sector in crisis
The deputy highlighted that early years educators assembled outside Leinster House to protest problems with the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). She noted a review of the NCS is under way, called for under-allocation of hours and after-school care to be examined, and acknowledged that the minister met with the group earlier in the day.
Three core failures identified
Funchion warned that fees, wages and provider sustainability are the three central failings of the system. She cited a UNICEF survey that ranked Ireland among the world's most expensive countries for early years and childcare and described parents in some cases paying the equivalent of a second mortgage or second rent.
Workforce pressures and quality risks
She drew attention to the low pay and precarious conditions faced by qualified early years educators, noting the sector is largely degree-led yet many workers earn less than the living wage, lack sick leave, and sometimes must sign on for social welfare during the summer. She referenced a SIP2 survey showing 81% of workers cannot meet unexpected expenses and 38% are looking for work outside the sector, undermining consistency and quality.
Planning and funding shortfalls
Funchion criticised the limited attention to early years in the national development plan, saying it dedicated only one page to childcare despite projected population growth of around 1 million over the next decade. She argued for capital investment and a clear plan for the sector's future and urged that the upcoming budget include sustainable funding targeted at lowering fees, raising wages and securing providers' viability.
Motion's focus and next steps
The deputy emphasised the motion aims to secure a high-quality early years education system that is affordable, accessible and sustainable. She expressed disappointment at amendments she viewed as delaying action and reiterated that the motion covers fees, wages and sustainability for providers.
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You have 20 minutes Thank you very much. I am sharing my time with colleagues and thank you to the ministers as well for being here. I am delighted to introduce this motion to the Dáil for debate. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the early years educators that assembled outside Leinster House this morning to highlight the serious issues with the National Child Care Scheme. I know, Minister, you will know I have mentioned this to you before and I acknowledge that you have been saying there is a review underway. I sincerely hope that you can guarantee that the under-allocation of hours through NCS and the provision of after-school care will be looked at and that you and your department will take on board the serious concerns highlighted and discussed this afternoon also in the Children's Committee because there was a discussion on that just before this debate. I would also like to acknowledge, Minister, that you did come out to that group today and you did meet with them and speak with them and I think that is important and I think that should be acknowledged in fairness. However, I am very disappointed that there are amendments to the motion here this evening but in my opinion it is a case of kicking this situation down the road even further. We do not have a great track record in relation to investment in the early years and I think actually that was even acknowledged by some government parties over the weekend. We continue to facilitate a piecemeal approach to the early years. Again, as I stress, I was very disappointed to see amendments to our motion. Despite all the commitments and policies that are unveiled, we are still faced with a situation where parents in some cases are paying the equivalent of a second mortgage or second rent. A recent UNICEF survey ranked Ireland among the world's most expensive countries for early years and childcare. We know the repercussions of exorbitant fees creates a significant barrier, particularly to women's employment. Women are adversely affected by higher fees with many forced to stay out of the workforce while their children are small. I have always thought it is disingenuous for us to encourage women to go back to work and also, as we are in a political chamber, to encourage women into politics when we do not often have the services and the infrastructure to support their return to work. I am somebody that regularly has that juggling situation. I try to raise that as often as I can in this chamber and I will continue to do so until maybe we see some changes in relation to it. This motion is about providing families with a high quality early years education system that is affordable, accessible and sustainable. It is obvious to everyone here tonight and in the wider public that the early years sector is in crisis. Those were some of the comments from the committee earlier today as well from the witnesses. It also goes without saying that early years and childcare was in crisis before COVID, during COVID and will remain in crisis after COVID if we do not see the serious commitment to sustainable investment that is needed starting with next week's budget. I am constantly contacted by parents, early years, educators and providers wanting to share their experiences using working or operation in a broken system. I know I am not the only TD here that has witnessed these failings of the current funding model in my constituency and all the constituencies around the country. It must be resourced adequately to provide lower fees for parents and stability for highly qualified professionals, but it must also deliver a sustainable future for providers. Those are the three key issues. The fees are far too high for parents, the wages are far too low for workers and there is a serious issue for providers trying to keep their doors open. The current funding model I would say is failing children, their families, their educators and early years providers. I was struck in yesterday's national development plan that only one page was dedicated to early years in childcare with projections of a growth in Ireland's population of around 1 million over the next decade. I would have liked to have seen real commitment to capital expenditure and a plan for how we propose to cater for this sector into the future. I think I am conscious that the clock has not moved, so I have no idea where I am in relation to time. I was reluctant to raise that, but I think I should say it in fairness to my colleagues. I have spoken many times about those working in the sector and I really do want to acknowledge that this evening. It is such a difficult job. I genuinely do not know how people who work in the early years sector sometimes do it. The commitment and dedication that they have to it is incredible and it is degree led for the most part at this stage. People are spending years in college studying and furthering their professional development and are extremely experienced and qualified educators. After a lifetime in the sector, many are still earning less than the living wage or minimum wage in a lot of cases. There is very little sick leave. I always try to give this example that people have to sign on for social welfare a lot of the time during the summer. Sometimes people do not believe that it still happens, but we all know it is the reality. It is nearly impossible to stay working in the sector. A recent SIP2 survey showed 81% of all workers in the sector are unable to meet unexpected expenses and 38% are actively looking for work in another sector due to low pay. That is obviously going to affect the consistency and quality. We need to see this being addressed. As educators and parents are squeezed at one end of the system, early year services, mainly small businesses, predominantly managed and owned by women, are being squeezed at the other. So I am just going to finish on this point that the issue are fees, wages and sustainability for providers. The motion covers all of that, so I commend the motion to the House. but I do not see the appropriate offices but its benefit from the public. We cannot make sure that it is comfortable. We cannot be careful, we cannot be careful, we cannot be careful, we cannot be careful, we cannot be afraid. It is possible, we cannot be careful, we cannot be careful.
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