The continuing struggle for rural families in securing childcare is being borne out by research showing up to 40,000 children under the age of three are waiting for a place in early-years’ service providers across the country.
The high cost and scarcity of childcare places have been a huge frustration for families in recent years, with the closure of many smaller services being blamed on the introduction of a Core Funding model by Government to regularise the sector.
However, with a commitment in the Programme for Government to reduce the cost of childcare for families, childcare providers argue that there are other factors affecting the provision of places, with staff retention the most significant.
Figures released by the Department of Children show the hourly wage for childcare workers averages at just over €12, while 40% of the workforce are part-time, with seasonal contracts in place for a further 40% of workers.
Pobal released its Annual Early Years Sector Profile in recent weeks which showed a national staff turnover rate in the childcare sector of 25%, which rises to 54% in some areas.
The report, which was published in collaboration with the Department of Children, Equality, and Disability, is based on a survey completed by Early Learning and Care and School Aged Childcare providers in Ireland. It gives insights into childcare numbers, fees, staff qualifications and other aspects of the early years sector.
The latest statistics highlight the stark reality of a severe lack of childcare places. Only 97 places are available to the 6,643 children under the age of one currently on waiting lists. The figure rises to 267 places for children under two years of age, of whom there are 16,849 on waiting lists.
Parents seeking after school care for their children are facing similar difficulties, with over 10,000 across the country on waiting lists.
Improving accessibility
Teresa Heeney of Early Childhood Ireland says efforts by the Government to address the affordability of childcare for families needs to be matched in improving accessibility and quality of care.
“This problem is countrywide with a really high turnover of staff, it’s a huge issue,” she explains.
“Parents can only claim financial supports offered by the National Childcare Scheme if they use registered childminders, so a lot of rural families are not enjoying the same benefits as urban families as there is still a long journey to get all childminders in the country registered.
“At the last election the emphasis was on affordability which is undoubtedly a real concern for families but making childcare affordable is no good if it’s not accessible and high quality.”
Teresa says that while the waiting lists may be inflated given many families will have their children’s names down with more than one childcare provider, the pressure on those in need of childcare is immense.
Teresa Heeney, CEO Early Childhood Ireland.
“Families are travelling huge distances to secure places for their children, I know of several cases where children are having to travel from Tipperary to Portlaoise to attend a crèche, and until the staff retention issue is addressed this won’t change,” she explains.
“Lots of services around the country could expand to meet demand, but they are all reluctant to due to the difficulties with recruitment and retention of staff.
“We have 4,000 members and we are very familiar with the stress childcare providers face on a Sunday evening, hoping the phone won’t ring telling them staff aren’t coming in on Monday morning. If they don’t have the staff, they have to close the room concerned, as there are very strict staff ratios for early years, which is essential for children’s health and wellbeing.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality says early learning and childcare capacity is increasing.
“Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2023/24 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year,” she says.
“While waiting list data can be used to give an indication of demand for places for a given age group or service type not all services operate a waiting list.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that funding has been ringfenced to support pay increases in the sector, but would not be drawn on any commitment to match early years educator graduate pay with that of primary school teachers.
“For the 2025/26 programme year, €45m has been specifically ringfenced to support employers to meet the costs of further increases to the minimum rates of pay,” she adds.
“The Joint Labour Committee has, after public consultation, unanimously agreed on proposed new minimum rates of pay for the sector and has submitted these proposals to the Labour Court.”
Teresa acknowledges the efforts made by Government in recent years to address the childcare crisis, but says more needed to be done to provide quality affordable childcare to all who need it.
“The Department of Children has met its €1bn target of investment, but what people don’t realise is that we were starting from a very low base,” she says.
“The National Childcare Scheme, which subsidises the cost for parents is very welcome, as are the improvements and investments made through Core Funding, but the problem remains that if you don’t have the staff, you don’t have the places.
“We are calling for early years graduates, who have the same level of university qualifications as primary school teachers, to be given the same pay and conditions, including regular pay increments, pension rights and maternity leave entitlements.”
According to the Department of Children’s First 5 strategy report, over a fifth of the current early years’ workforce is educated to graduate level.
“It’s no wonder our workforce ends up taking different career paths, it’s not possible for them to progress their development or earnings that will make them able to apply for mortgages or secure other loans,” adds Teresa.
“Pay parity would give confidence to our workforce to stay in the sector and it would also given reassurance to families that their children are receiving the best quality childcare.”
First 5 strategy
Minister for Children Norma Foley is due to meet with representatives from the childcare sector in advance of next week’s budget, to confirm what measures if any will be forthcoming to meet their demands of pay parity for graduates working in early years childcare.
The First 5 strategy commits to a new workforce development plan which will prioritise a graduate-led early learning and childcare workforce, in line with a recommendation in the EU Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care that all staff will have career development opportunities.
Norma Foley TD, Minister for Children
Photo Chris Bellew : Fennell Photography
According to the report there will also be “a concerted effort to raise the status of and value placed on the early learning childcare workforce, with a particular focus on supporting employers to provide more favourable working conditions that will attract and retain staff. These ambitions extend to childminding and school-age childcare. Development of training and education opportunities and a new funding model will facilitate this step-change”.
First 5 also commits to raising the professional status of workers in the sector and supporting childcare providers to offer more favourable working conditions to attract and retain staff.
The continuing struggle for rural families in securing childcare is being borne out by research showing up to 40,000 children under the age of three are waiting for a place in early-years’ service providers across the country.
The high cost and scarcity of childcare places have been a huge frustration for families in recent years, with the closure of many smaller services being blamed on the introduction of a Core Funding model by Government to regularise the sector.
However, with a commitment in the Programme for Government to reduce the cost of childcare for families, childcare providers argue that there are other factors affecting the provision of places, with staff retention the most significant.
Figures released by the Department of Children show the hourly wage for childcare workers averages at just over €12, while 40% of the workforce are part-time, with seasonal contracts in place for a further 40% of workers.
Pobal released its Annual Early Years Sector Profile in recent weeks which showed a national staff turnover rate in the childcare sector of 25%, which rises to 54% in some areas.
The report, which was published in collaboration with the Department of Children, Equality, and Disability, is based on a survey completed by Early Learning and Care and School Aged Childcare providers in Ireland. It gives insights into childcare numbers, fees, staff qualifications and other aspects of the early years sector.
The latest statistics highlight the stark reality of a severe lack of childcare places. Only 97 places are available to the 6,643 children under the age of one currently on waiting lists. The figure rises to 267 places for children under two years of age, of whom there are 16,849 on waiting lists.
Parents seeking after school care for their children are facing similar difficulties, with over 10,000 across the country on waiting lists.
Improving accessibility
Teresa Heeney of Early Childhood Ireland says efforts by the Government to address the affordability of childcare for families needs to be matched in improving accessibility and quality of care.
“This problem is countrywide with a really high turnover of staff, it’s a huge issue,” she explains.
“Parents can only claim financial supports offered by the National Childcare Scheme if they use registered childminders, so a lot of rural families are not enjoying the same benefits as urban families as there is still a long journey to get all childminders in the country registered.
“At the last election the emphasis was on affordability which is undoubtedly a real concern for families but making childcare affordable is no good if it’s not accessible and high quality.”
Teresa says that while the waiting lists may be inflated given many families will have their children’s names down with more than one childcare provider, the pressure on those in need of childcare is immense.
Teresa Heeney, CEO Early Childhood Ireland.
“Families are travelling huge distances to secure places for their children, I know of several cases where children are having to travel from Tipperary to Portlaoise to attend a crèche, and until the staff retention issue is addressed this won’t change,” she explains.
“Lots of services around the country could expand to meet demand, but they are all reluctant to due to the difficulties with recruitment and retention of staff.
“We have 4,000 members and we are very familiar with the stress childcare providers face on a Sunday evening, hoping the phone won’t ring telling them staff aren’t coming in on Monday morning. If they don’t have the staff, they have to close the room concerned, as there are very strict staff ratios for early years, which is essential for children’s health and wellbeing.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality says early learning and childcare capacity is increasing.
“Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2023/24 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year,” she says.
“While waiting list data can be used to give an indication of demand for places for a given age group or service type not all services operate a waiting list.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that funding has been ringfenced to support pay increases in the sector, but would not be drawn on any commitment to match early years educator graduate pay with that of primary school teachers.
“For the 2025/26 programme year, €45m has been specifically ringfenced to support employers to meet the costs of further increases to the minimum rates of pay,” she adds.
“The Joint Labour Committee has, after public consultation, unanimously agreed on proposed new minimum rates of pay for the sector and has submitted these proposals to the Labour Court.”
Teresa acknowledges the efforts made by Government in recent years to address the childcare crisis, but says more needed to be done to provide quality affordable childcare to all who need it.
“The Department of Children has met its €1bn target of investment, but what people don’t realise is that we were starting from a very low base,” she says.
“The National Childcare Scheme, which subsidises the cost for parents is very welcome, as are the improvements and investments made through Core Funding, but the problem remains that if you don’t have the staff, you don’t have the places.
“We are calling for early years graduates, who have the same level of university qualifications as primary school teachers, to be given the same pay and conditions, including regular pay increments, pension rights and maternity leave entitlements.”
According to the Department of Children’s First 5 strategy report, over a fifth of the current early years’ workforce is educated to graduate level.
“It’s no wonder our workforce ends up taking different career paths, it’s not possible for them to progress their development or earnings that will make them able to apply for mortgages or secure other loans,” adds Teresa.
“Pay parity would give confidence to our workforce to stay in the sector and it would also given reassurance to families that their children are receiving the best quality childcare.”
First 5 strategy
Minister for Children Norma Foley is due to meet with representatives from the childcare sector in advance of next week’s budget, to confirm what measures if any will be forthcoming to meet their demands of pay parity for graduates working in early years childcare.
The First 5 strategy commits to a new workforce development plan which will prioritise a graduate-led early learning and childcare workforce, in line with a recommendation in the EU Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care that all staff will have career development opportunities.
Norma Foley TD, Minister for Children
Photo Chris Bellew : Fennell Photography
According to the report there will also be “a concerted effort to raise the status of and value placed on the early learning childcare workforce, with a particular focus on supporting employers to provide more favourable working conditions that will attract and retain staff. These ambitions extend to childminding and school-age childcare. Development of training and education opportunities and a new funding model will facilitate this step-change”.
First 5 also commits to raising the professional status of workers in the sector and supporting childcare providers to offer more favourable working conditions to attract and retain staff.
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