Danny Healy-Rae Urges Greater Support for Childcare Workers
Danny Healy-Rae spoke to a motion on childcare raised by Clare Coran, arguing that childcare is no longer a luxury and that families and childcare professionals need more support. He warned that rising living costs, including high ESB bills, are squeezing parents and that childcare workers face unstable incomes and holiday challenges.
Danny Healy-Rae thanked Clare Coran for bringing the motion and emphasised that childcare was a constant issue at election doors. He said childcare is essential for parents who must work to keep a roof over their heads and called for stronger support for services and workers.
He described families facing "massive bills" and gave an example of a young father whose ESB bill exceeded his mortgage. He stressed that the combined pressure of household bills and childcare costs is putting many families in serious financial trouble.
He highlighted that professional childminders and childcare staff are vetted and do vital, responsible work, but face problems in the summer when children are home from school. He said many workers must find other work or sign on during holiday periods and argued this is unfair given their professionalism.
He praised local operators "like little acorns in Kilgarvin" for the services they provide to parents and communities. He recognised operators and childminders across Kerry for running essential services and doing a "great job" for families.
He insisted children are "our future" and that services must be protected so parents can work. He urged that childcare workers should be paid fairly and receive holidays on par with other workers to stabilise the sector and support families.
Main points
Danny Healy-Rae thanked Clare Coran for bringing the motion and emphasised that childcare was a constant issue at election doors. He said childcare is essential for parents who must work to keep a roof over their heads and called for stronger support for services and workers.
Impact on families
He described families facing "massive bills" and gave an example of a young father whose ESB bill exceeded his mortgage. He stressed that the combined pressure of household bills and childcare costs is putting many families in serious financial trouble.
Childcare workers' challenges
He highlighted that professional childminders and childcare staff are vetted and do vital, responsible work, but face problems in the summer when children are home from school. He said many workers must find other work or sign on during holiday periods and argued this is unfair given their professionalism.
Local providers cited
He praised local operators "like little acorns in Kilgarvin" for the services they provide to parents and communities. He recognised operators and childminders across Kerry for running essential services and doing a "great job" for families.
Call for support and protection
He insisted children are "our future" and that services must be protected so parents can work. He urged that childcare workers should be paid fairly and receive holidays on par with other workers to stabilise the sector and support families.
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Transcript
Thanks very much, this is a very important motion and I thank Clare Coran for bringing it before us to talk about it because we all remember the election and we were going around to the doors, it was a constant issue, you know, parents, in many places board parents have to go out to work, they need to be out of home to keep a home and that's the honest truth about it. And they're having difficulty sourcing places and likewise professional child minders or childcare professionals have a problem, have many problems because during the summer months when the children are at home from school or whatever, minister, these childcare professionals either have to find other work or have to sign on and that's not fair when they do such a great job, they're vetted and they're totally professional in every way and they have to be above board and there's the companies that run, the operators that run these services like little acorns in Kilgarvin, starting Kilgarvin, they do a great job for parents and they're a very important part of our society today. And all over our country of Kerry, childcare professionals are doing great work, very responsible work, anything to do with minding other people's children, I know it because we've offered the school, we've run a school bus for many, many years and when you're in charge of other people's children, it is a fairly honest job and I know that and you have to be very careful and do everything right. And we really appreciate those people, but to see the cost of it now today, on top of everything else, families have massive bills to pay now and before it was maybe just demandless, but now many people after taking that voice of desire to water and so forth, they're finding that they have massive ESB bills. One young father the other day told me his ESB bill is more than his mortgage and likewise, childcare is very costly as well because it has to be. When we talk about people who have to mind other people's children, like I said, workers find it difficult during the holiday time and this is not good enough. These workers should be paid all around and have their holidays the same as everyone else. I don't take any holidays for, but that's not for everyone. They do a great job and they're professionals and they have to be. They're vetted and everything has to be right. We appreciate what they're doing, but we need to support them more and like I said, families are in serious financial trouble trying to stay going. Thankfully, we have a growing population with parents and mothers having young babies constantly and children are our future and that's that we must protect our future. And by doing that, we have to do that, we have to protect our children and youngsters and put their best foot forward and ensure that there's a service there for people who have to go to work. It's not a luxury anymore. They have to go to work to keep the door open and to keep the roof over their heads. Am I with time to? Am I finished? You're well over. All right. Thanks for it. All right.