Ireland’s minister of state for business, employment and retail Damien English has accepted proposals for Employment Regulation Orders for the early years sector.
As of today (15 September), those working in the early years services sector will receive new minimum hourly rates of pay. Under the move, which is supported through the government’s €221m Core Funding Scheme, more than 70 per cent of staff will receive a pay increase.
Staff will receive the following minimum salaries under the new pay scales:
- €13.00 ( approxiamately £11.31) for early years educators/school-age childcare practitioners.
- €14.00 for early years lead educators/school-age childcare co-ordinators.
- €15.50 for graduate early years lead educators.
- €15.70 for deputy managers.
- €16.50 for managers.
- €17.25 for graduate managers.
Under the same funding scheme, the Irish government had also committed to freezing childcare fees for parents.
Minister English said, ‘I am very pleased to approve these Employment Regulation Orders which will commence on the 15 of September 2022. The proposals submitted to me will apply to some 27,000 staff and are a welcome acknowledgement of the importance of the work carried out by everyone working in the early learning and childcare sector.’
Roderic O’Gorman, minister for children, equality, disability, integration and youth, said, ‘I have always said that I believe early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners need their pay and conditions to reflect the importance of the work they do. Today’s announcement is an historic first step towards that.
‘Since I became Minister with responsibility for early learning and childcare, I have been focused on reducing costs for parents, improving sustainability for providers and importantly improving quality for children.
‘Yet low pay and conditions as well as limited opportunities for progression has made it difficult to attract and retain staff in the sector – and it is the staff who are key to the quality of children’s experiences.
‘Through these first Employment Regulation Orders for the sector, I hope that early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners can now see a real future for themselves in a job that gives so much to children, their families and to society more broadly.’
The National Minimum Wage in Ireland is €10.50 per hour for those aged 20 and over.