Demands for a public childcare system have increased pressure on the Government to prioritise the sector, following a public protest at the Dáil.
The Together for Public Alliance demonstration, organised by the National Women’s Council outside Leinster House last week, is calling on Minister for Children Norma Foley to take urgent action to address the childcare crisis.
During the last general election campaign, several political parties committed to a €200 per child per month childcare fee, yet only the Labour Party and Social Democrats pledged to provide a public model of childcare.
Coalition partners Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael pledged to introduce a €200 per child per month cap, with the leading government party stipulating that this would only be achieved if economic and fiscal circumstances permit. Neither party signalled an intention of introducing a public system of childcare.
Childcare experts have pointed out that the funding being invested by the Government is only half that of the EU average. Countries like Norway allocate one per cent of their GDP in childcare and early intervention, whereas in Ireland it’s 0.5 per cent.
Rachel Coyle, head of campaigns and mobilisation with the National Women’s Council says that with the coalition passing its 100 days in office without any movement on childcare, the issue ‘hasn’t gone away’.
“The Government is not taking the urgent action parents and families need them to when it comes to childcare,” she says.
Rachel Coyle, National Womens Council.
Broken model
“The Programme for Government does commit to doing some things, like increasing places and reducing fees, but it stops short of the public childcare system we need. All they seem to be doing is patching holes in a broken model.”
Together for Public Alliance, an umbrella grouping of 43 childcare providers, trade unions, academics and community organisations, believes the current hybrid model of childcare in the country, delivered by both private and public operators is failing families.
“This country needs a not-for-profit childcare system where every child is guaranteed the right to a place,” adds Rachel.
“This system would see educators paid directly by the State and would bring us into line with other EU countries in the sector. It would be amazing if we had a €200 per child per month cap in place but that cannot be delivered through a private model.”
The Programme for Government has committed to ‘progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the National Childcare Scheme and explore options to cap costs for larger families’.
It also pledges to provide capital investment to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists, and to review and increase the controversial core funding model. The scheme was introduced in 2022 but has been criticised by many providers for not meeting their needs and the reason why many have closed their doors.
The Government says it will ensure that early years educators in the private sector will benefit from Employment Regulation Orders, which set pay rates for childcare educators, the maximum rates of which are €16.28 per hour for a graduate, and €18.11 per hour for a graduate centre manager.
Those working in the sector say a public childcare system has pros and cons, and insist any such model would need to be very carefully thought out.
Nora Fagan is manager of Ballymore Community Childcare in Co Westmeath. The creche has been permitted to increase its fees, seven years after they were frozen under the core funding model.
However, Nora says even with an increase in fees, it is still a struggle to keep the doors open.
“The main benefit of a public system would be having staff pay and conditions on a par with public sector employees which would help to stem the haemorrhaging of staff we experience in childcare,” she says.
“Without the staff, we can’t offer places and when graduates are being faced with a maximum hourly rate of just over €16, they won’t stay in the sector.
“The concern I would have with a fully public model would be the potential risk of eroding the quality of childcare services delivered if children become just a number. So really the devil would be in the detail.”
State-owned facilities
A spokesperson for the Department of Children, Youth, Equality and Integration says the Government’s current policy marked a significant shift in the direction of public delivery of early learning and childcare.
“The sector is now predominantly publicly funded with necessary and appropriate conditionality attached to that funding, constituting certain features of a public model,” he says.
“The framework for reform of the sector is set out in Partnership for the Public Good, the 2021 report of an Expert Group established to develop a new funding model for the sector.
“The key theme of the recommendations was to strengthen State involvement and enhanced public management in the sector, in conjunction with increased State funding.
“There is a commitment for the first time to public provision and to capital investment to build or purchase State-owned facilities,” he says.
“These commitments accompany other ambitious actions to significantly reduce out-of-pocket fees paid by parents, as well as increasing availability of places and improving pay and conditions for staff. This will enhance parental choice through ongoing support for public, private and community provision, as well as childminders.”
There is a commitment for the first time to public provision and to capital investment to build or purchase State-owned facilities
However, Rachel Coyle believes that without action, the Government’s commitments are “tokenistic”.
“Childcare is patchy in rural Ireland where more and more families are reliant on grandparents to mind children,” she says.
“This isn’t sustainable and without public childcare, the Government’s commitment to supporting women in farming is nothing more than words. The rising cost of childcare and the lack of places means more and more women are having to leave the workplace. This is setting women back, both in terms of their careers and future pension provision.
“Childcare is falling by the wayside as the Government claims it has more important matters to attend to with the global situation right now. But we need it back on the agenda and to that end we have sought a meeting with the Minister for Children, Norma Foley.”
The Department spokesperson adds that the Minister is open to examining whether some element of public provision childcare should be introduced.
“As outlined, the Programme for Government commits to State-owned facilities to create additional capacity. Some early scoping work has been carried out to explore options to introduce A segment of public provision,” he says.
Demands for a public childcare system have increased pressure on the Government to prioritise the sector, following a public protest at the Dáil.
The Together for Public Alliance demonstration, organised by the National Women’s Council outside Leinster House last week, is calling on Minister for Children Norma Foley to take urgent action to address the childcare crisis.
During the last general election campaign, several political parties committed to a €200 per child per month childcare fee, yet only the Labour Party and Social Democrats pledged to provide a public model of childcare.
Coalition partners Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael pledged to introduce a €200 per child per month cap, with the leading government party stipulating that this would only be achieved if economic and fiscal circumstances permit. Neither party signalled an intention of introducing a public system of childcare.
Childcare experts have pointed out that the funding being invested by the Government is only half that of the EU average. Countries like Norway allocate one per cent of their GDP in childcare and early intervention, whereas in Ireland it’s 0.5 per cent.
Rachel Coyle, head of campaigns and mobilisation with the National Women’s Council says that with the coalition passing its 100 days in office without any movement on childcare, the issue ‘hasn’t gone away’.
“The Government is not taking the urgent action parents and families need them to when it comes to childcare,” she says.
Rachel Coyle, National Womens Council.
Broken model
“The Programme for Government does commit to doing some things, like increasing places and reducing fees, but it stops short of the public childcare system we need. All they seem to be doing is patching holes in a broken model.”
Together for Public Alliance, an umbrella grouping of 43 childcare providers, trade unions, academics and community organisations, believes the current hybrid model of childcare in the country, delivered by both private and public operators is failing families.
“This country needs a not-for-profit childcare system where every child is guaranteed the right to a place,” adds Rachel.
“This system would see educators paid directly by the State and would bring us into line with other EU countries in the sector. It would be amazing if we had a €200 per child per month cap in place but that cannot be delivered through a private model.”
The Programme for Government has committed to ‘progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the National Childcare Scheme and explore options to cap costs for larger families’.
It also pledges to provide capital investment to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists, and to review and increase the controversial core funding model. The scheme was introduced in 2022 but has been criticised by many providers for not meeting their needs and the reason why many have closed their doors.
The Government says it will ensure that early years educators in the private sector will benefit from Employment Regulation Orders, which set pay rates for childcare educators, the maximum rates of which are €16.28 per hour for a graduate, and €18.11 per hour for a graduate centre manager.
Those working in the sector say a public childcare system has pros and cons, and insist any such model would need to be very carefully thought out.
Nora Fagan is manager of Ballymore Community Childcare in Co Westmeath. The creche has been permitted to increase its fees, seven years after they were frozen under the core funding model.
However, Nora says even with an increase in fees, it is still a struggle to keep the doors open.
“The main benefit of a public system would be having staff pay and conditions on a par with public sector employees which would help to stem the haemorrhaging of staff we experience in childcare,” she says.
“Without the staff, we can’t offer places and when graduates are being faced with a maximum hourly rate of just over €16, they won’t stay in the sector.
“The concern I would have with a fully public model would be the potential risk of eroding the quality of childcare services delivered if children become just a number. So really the devil would be in the detail.”
State-owned facilities
A spokesperson for the Department of Children, Youth, Equality and Integration says the Government’s current policy marked a significant shift in the direction of public delivery of early learning and childcare.
“The sector is now predominantly publicly funded with necessary and appropriate conditionality attached to that funding, constituting certain features of a public model,” he says.
“The framework for reform of the sector is set out in Partnership for the Public Good, the 2021 report of an Expert Group established to develop a new funding model for the sector.
“The key theme of the recommendations was to strengthen State involvement and enhanced public management in the sector, in conjunction with increased State funding.
“There is a commitment for the first time to public provision and to capital investment to build or purchase State-owned facilities,” he says.
“These commitments accompany other ambitious actions to significantly reduce out-of-pocket fees paid by parents, as well as increasing availability of places and improving pay and conditions for staff. This will enhance parental choice through ongoing support for public, private and community provision, as well as childminders.”
There is a commitment for the first time to public provision and to capital investment to build or purchase State-owned facilities
However, Rachel Coyle believes that without action, the Government’s commitments are “tokenistic”.
“Childcare is patchy in rural Ireland where more and more families are reliant on grandparents to mind children,” she says.
“This isn’t sustainable and without public childcare, the Government’s commitment to supporting women in farming is nothing more than words. The rising cost of childcare and the lack of places means more and more women are having to leave the workplace. This is setting women back, both in terms of their careers and future pension provision.
“Childcare is falling by the wayside as the Government claims it has more important matters to attend to with the global situation right now. But we need it back on the agenda and to that end we have sought a meeting with the Minister for Children, Norma Foley.”
The Department spokesperson adds that the Minister is open to examining whether some element of public provision childcare should be introduced.
“As outlined, the Programme for Government commits to State-owned facilities to create additional capacity. Some early scoping work has been carried out to explore options to introduce A segment of public provision,” he says.
SHARING OPTIONS