The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) says childcare should be considered an essential public service with workers supported by the State.
The statement from the Head of Social Policy at the ICTU, Laura Bambrick, comes after a recent survey found a third of childcare facilities were at risk of closure in the coming months due to an inability to recruit qualified workers.
The findings are contained in the Early Years Staffing Survey Report for 2021, produced by the New Deal for Early Years coalition.
Dr Bambrick said the absence of a statutory entitlement to childcare was resulting in the cost of services being driven by private and for-profit businesses.
“Parents are paying the highest out-of-pocket costs in the European Union for fees and at the same time childcare-qualified professional staff are some of the lowest paid in our economy,” Dr Bambrick said.
“An under-investment in childcare, a high staff drop-out rate and high fees have resulted in a third of women with children being outside of the workforce,” she said.
The Report also found that while the pandemic had placed additional burdens on staff, this was not a significant reason for workers leaving the sector.
Spokesperson for the Services Industrial and Professional and Technical Union, Darragh O’Connor said many qualified and skilled educators simply could not afford to stay in their profession.
“The pandemic showed just how vital these front-line workers are, which is why we are calling on the Government to recognise their work and address the staffing crisis by investing in better pay in the upcoming Budget,” Mr O’Connor said.
Dublin, 19 September 2021
