Election 2020 – Party Overview
As part of our work on General Election 2020, Early Childhood Ireland has been reviewing the early years commitments in the main Parties’ manifestos. We present our most up-to-date analysis below. This will be updated on an ongoing basis, as Parties publish further details.
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| Increasing the universal NCS subsidy to €80 per week |
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| Examine the introduction of fee-caps | This cannot happen unless and until investment increases significantly. |
| €2,000 tax credit for parents using registered childminders |
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| Expand ECCE to 40 weeks |
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| €10 Million Commercial Rates relief fund |
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| Expand Maternity benefit from 26 to 30 weeks and allow parents to share leave |
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| Capital investment for the provision of new childcare places |
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| A new range of childcare apprenticeships to attract staff | Clarification is needed about the level of these proposed apprenticeships. |
| Settings to display their price lists and submit price data to a central register | Settings must display their fees already. |
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| Increase investment in early years to €1billion per annum by 2025 |
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| Increase NCS subsidies for parents |
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| Extend parental leave by seven weeks |
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| Expand ECCE to 42 weeks |
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| A Joint Labour Committee to draw up an Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the sector for pay and conditions. | This could happen if investment increased significantly. |
| “Streamlining” regulatory requirements for settings | These proposals need further clarification, but in principle, each is welcome. |
| More resources for Tusla for inspections |
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| Enhanced payments for parental and relative childcare | This needs further clarification. |
| Capping costs for parents through “local authority provided childcare” | This needs further clarification. It would represent a major shift in provision. |
| Increase the level of paid parental leave |
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| Establishing a framework for early years qualifications, professional development and pay to incentivise people to remain in the sector |
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| Requiring local authorities to review and support all early years settings to ensure they are complaint with planning and regulatory codes | This needs further clarification. It would represent a major shift in provision. |
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| The creation of a universal public childcare system on a phased basis | The National Childcare Scheme already exists, so this needs further clarification. |
| Increased oversight and inspections of early years settings (There is an incorrect claim that the chain that featured in RTÉ Investigates received over €400 million in state funding) |
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| A Sectoral Employment Order to address wages for those in the sector | This could only happen if investment increased significantly. |
| The creation of a pooled insurance scheme for providers, which would be facilitated by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to reduce costs | This needs further clarification. |
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| Guarantee 33 hours of free childcare per week | This cannot happen unless and until investment increases significantly. |
| Increase maternity leave from six months to one year |
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| Legislate for maternity leave to be paid at the full wage rate by private employers | This needs further clarification. |
| Provide fully-paid paternity leave for one month |
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| Cap fees at 3% of income | This cannot happen unless and until investment increases significantly. |
| Develop a new publicly owned and funded National Childcare Service | The National Childcare Scheme already exists, so this needs further clarification. |
| Guarantee public access to childcare | This cannot happen unless and until investment increases significantly. |
| Guarantee decent wages and full access to training and retraining for childcare workers |
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| Develop a new publicly owned and funded National Childcare Service that settings could opt-in to. | The National Childcare Scheme already exists, so this needs further clarification. |
| A single Early Years and School-Age Childcare agency for the sector |
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| 60% degree led ECCE workforce by 2025 |
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| Increase AIM funding and expand SNA support in early years settings |
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| Introduce a database of “relief” workers for short term cover via the CCCs |
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| Additional resources to tackle Garda vetting backlog |
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| Develop a “passport” style system for Garda vetting |
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| Reinstate the Childminding Advisory Service |
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| A dedicated Childminding Development officer for each CCC |
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| An additional 26 weeks of paid parental leave |
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| Expanded provision of afterschool care |
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| Increase investment to 1% of GDP |
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| Enhanced NCS support for parents under both the universal and means tested streams |
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| A choice between support under the NCS or a new Early Years Payment for parents for the period between parental leave ending and entry into early years settings |
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| That no families are worse off under the NCS than the pre-existing schemes |
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| Direct funding to the sector to improve employment conditions and service sustainability |
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| Reduce administrate burden for settings through direct assistance from CCCs | This needs more detail, but shared local support services is a model we would support. |
| Introduce a Family Leave Act to allow for enhanced parental leave and flexible work options |
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| Expand parental leave so that first 12 months of a child’s life can be covered by paid leave |
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| Reduce insurance costs through reform of the claims regime and regulation of insurance companies | This needs more detail and an evidence base. |
| A single Early Years and School-Age Childcare agency for the sector |
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| Capping fees if they rise in line with subsidy increases | This cannot happen unless and until investment increases significantly. |
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