Paul Murphy: Demands 1% of GNI for Free National Childcare
Deputy Paul Murphy criticised current childcare funding and called for investment equal to 1% of GNI to create a free, publicly provided national childcare service. He argued the previous childcare model had failed children, workers and families and set out specific funding figures, schemes and reforms he wants implemented.
Public support and political stance
The speaker referenced the Early Childhood Ireland childcare barometer showing 65% of the public support free childcare and noted his party's agreement with that position. He framed affordability of early learning and childcare for parents as an absolute priority and urged a move away from the previous model he described as a disaster for children, workers and families.
Current funding and existing schemes
He outlined current investments in the sector, saying his department is investing £638 million this year and the government has committed to reaching €1 billion per annum by 2028. He described two principal schemes - the ECCE (early childhood care and education) serving more than 100,000 children each year, and the NCS (national childcare scheme) which provides universal subsidies up to €1,170 for up to 16,000 children under three and income-assessed subsidies up to €11,934 for up to 64,000 children up to age 15.
Expert group and new funding model
He noted an expert group established in September 2019 has been working on a new funding model based on progressive universalism and commissioning extensive research, which he said would be published after the group's report is sent to him in November. He described that new model as a key vehicle for delivering the proposed investment increases and influencing his budget bid.
Critique of adequacy and demand for 1% of GNI
He criticised the scale of current spending, citing families spending 34% of household income on childcare compared to 3% in Austria and 6% in Sweden. Citing UNICEF guidance, he argued spending should be equivalent to 1% of GDP (using GNI in Ireland's case), saying the present £638 million is roughly one third of 1% of GNI and that €1.8 billion would be needed to reach the 1% benchmark. He concluded the government is failing the country's children and called for a commitment to a national childcare service and increased funding to 1% of GNI.
Workforce, pay and service expansion proposals
He welcomed measures mentioned by the minister such as the introduction of a JLC to provide a pay structure and a workforce development plan but said far more is required. He outlined what 1% of GNI would permit - extending ECCE from 15 hours/38 weeks to 30 hours/48 weeks, increasing NCS subsidies for all parents, reversing cuts to after-school services in disadvantaged areas and raising childcare wages toward a €15 per hour minimum.
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The Early Childhood Ireland's childcare barometer shows that 65 per cent of the Irish public agree that childcare, like primary education, should be free. People Before Profit agrees. If we want happy, healthy and developmentally successful children, we need proper state investment in early childhood education and childcare. The Minister spoke earlier about all the supports given during Covid, etc. But do you accept that going back to normal, going back to the previous model, the previous model had absolutely failed? It was a disaster for children, a disaster for workers and a disaster for families. As I said in my discussion with Deputy Function beforehand, the issue of affordability of early learning and childcare for parents is an absolute key priority for me. We need to achieve this alongside our continuing work to improve quality, sustainability and accessibility. This year my department is investing already £638 million into the sector and affordability for parents is a key policy objective in terms of that investment. And obviously that is separate to the Covid supports I have spoken about earlier on. Obviously there are two major schemes we use in terms of the direction of that money. The early childhood care and education scheme, ECCE, and the NCS, the national childcare scheme. Together these two schemes provide for two years of free preschool education with more than 100,000 children benefiting from ECCE each year. Universal NCS subsidies of up to €1,170 per year for up to 16,000 children who are under three years. And then the income assessed NCS subsidies which can be up to €11,934 per year for up to 64,000 children up to the age of 15. So this combined approach to funding seeks to provide support for all children and families while offering progressively greater supports to those who have the greatest need. And I am proud that this government has committed to that increase of getting us up to €1 billion per annum investment by 2028. And I am determined to play my part in terms of achieving that. And the new funding model which I discussed earlier on would be a key vehicle to ensure this. And I have referred in the earlier answer to the expert group that was established in September 2019. And which has been working on this new funding model based on the idea of progressive universalism. And that is what they are seeking to achieve and deliver in terms of that report. Very extensive research has been commissioned by the expert group. All of that research is available on the first five websites. And it looks at various things, a DASH model, control of parental fees, etc. So as I say, the expert group will be sending its report to me in November of this year. And I will publish it subsequently, but I am using its influence in terms of my budget bid this year. $138 billion this year. $1 billion by 2028. My God. This is just inadequate amounts of money. We have a situation whereby families are spending 34% of household income on childcare, compared to 3% in Austria, 6% in Sweden. Where childcare workers are, in many cases, on minimum wage. We have a crisis situation and the government proposes basically to go back to normal. UNICEF recommends that spending on childcare and early childhood education should be equivalent to 1% of GDP. Because of our inflated GDP, let us say, use GNI. But $638 million is one third of 1% of GNI. Even $1 billion by 2028, and who knows whether we will ever get there, is still substantially short. You need $1.8 billion to reach 1% of GNI. The government is failing the country's children. Something that will leave them disadvantaged for life. At the very least, we should have a commitment to a national childcare service and a commitment to increasing funding to 1% of GNI star. Well, nobody disagrees with your argument, Deputy, that we are not putting enough money into childcare. And we have only been putting money into childcare for the last 10 years. So we were coming from literally zero investment 10 years ago to this figure now. And we have to continue to increase that figure. But I do not agree with what you are saying, that we are going back to normal. We are introducing the JLC to provide for a pay structure for these incredibly low-paid workers, incredibly low-paid women. And we understand that that has to be supported by government. And government will take action to ensure that we do support that. We are creating a workforce development plan. Because one of the issues when I speak to young women who have just completed their degrees is that they do not actually see a future for themselves working as childcare professionals. Even though they have just spent three or four years getting their Level 7 or Level 8 programme. So creating a clear career pathway is another essential element to retaining staff within this sector. This is not a time for half measures. It is a time to restructure our entire way that childcare operates, to recognise the failure of the current model, and to set ourselves on a short, direct, rapid path to a national childcare service, publicly provided, free, at the point of use. The Minister says nobody disagrees that we are underfunding childcare. But, Minister, with all due respect, you are the Minister. So, you know, you can go outside maybe and join a protest against your own government. The Government like to do that. But you are part of the Government. You make these decisions. If you increase the level of funding on childcare and early childhood education to 1% of GNI Star, what would that mean for people? It would mean the extension of the early childhood scheme from 15 hours, 38 weeks a year, to 30 hours, 48 weeks a year. It would mean increased funding for the national childcare scheme to subsidise costs for all parents. It would reverse cuts to after-school services in disadvantaged areas. And it could mean higher wages for childcare workers, moving to a minimum wage of 15 euro a hour. The Government could make the decision to do that. You know, you are right. I am the Minister, and I think it is important as Minister that I listen. And that is why I went out to the protest earlier this week, to hear from childcare professionals, to hear from people who are working in services on a daily basis, to hear from managers of these services. And it is not the first time I have met many of them. I have met many of them online over the last year, because I do listen. And, you know, changes will be made on foot of the information that we get back. But in terms of the longer-term vision for childcare in this country, we have a very substantial piece of work coming to us that is mapping out how we increase public investment, but also increase public management of the system. And that is absolutely essential, because it is not enough just to throw money at the system. We have to have increased public management. The JLC is part of that process, but there will be other elements in terms of ensuring that the extra money we get in delivers affordability, delivers quality and sustainability. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wina Kurzweil. Thank you, Mr. You just have a couple of questions. Thank you, Mr.
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