CHILDREN’S MINISTER RODERIC O’Gorman has said he is hopeful a 50% reduction in childcare fees can be achieved over the next two years, following this year’s Budget.
“We want to see a 50% average cut in childcare fees across this Budget and the next Budget,” O’Gorman said.
The Dublin West TD told RTE’s Claire Byrne programme that his focus is on improving affordability for parents in this year’s Budget.
He said the Green Party party wants a “significant increase” in the National Childcare Scheme (NSC), the subsidy parents receive that reduces childcare costs.
While he would not divulge exact figures for the upcoming, O’Gorman said: “We’ll be working to achieve a substantial part of that in this year’s budget.”
He added: “There is broad support across the coalition and abroad recognition that the cost of childcare is that is a major burden on families right now. And it’s something that that we need to work to alleviate.”
A recent survey revealed that, on average, parents pay out nearly €800 per month per child for childcare, though in many regions the cost is substantially higher.
The Journal reported in April that the Government was planning to focus on reducing the rocketing cost of childcare in the budget.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar also said in an interview last week that childcare fees will fall for the vast majority of parents under a “big movement” in September’s budget.
The minister said today that a new wage deal for childcare workers bringing in minimum pay of €13 per hour will be signed off in the next few weeks.
O’Gorman said the deal is part of an Employment Regulation Order, which he has to sign to to put the new arrangements in place.
Concerns had been raised by those in the childcare sector last week over the delay with the order.
Once it is agreed he said it will allow the Government to roll out its new €221 million euro “core funding” for the childcare sector to providers.
O’Gorman said core funding has been designed to address the fact that so many workers “feel undervalued” as their “wages don’t represent the importance of their work in society”.
“We hope to see that Employment Regulation Order signed in the next number of weeks that’s being negotiated between employers and trade union representatives over the summer,” he said.
“Once that has been signed the core funding that we agreed in last year’s budget will flow to childcare providers and that will immediately impact positively on the pay for childcare.”
At present there are no fixed wage rates for childcare workers, but the change will bring in an entry rate level rate per hour.
“Then it’ll set increased levels in terms of qualifications, time, responsibility that childcare professionals have.
“Once that is signed the Government will bring forward the core funding package that I negotiated last year and that will then be of significant benefit to the large majority of childcare professionals.”
With reporting by Press Association
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