SIPTU – the Early Years Union has outlined a series of key demands for Budget 2026, calling on the Government to make a transformative investment in the pay and conditions of Early Years professionals to secure the future of the sector.
The Union is calling for urgent State action to address the crisis in waiting lists and high staff turnover, which threatens the quality and sustainability of Early Years care and education in Ireland.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Diane Jackson, said: “The Early Years sector is at a crossroads. Unprecedented levels of public funding are flowing into the sector, yet this investment is not translating into decent pay and conditions for the highly qualified, predominantly female workforce. This failure risks undermining the entire national Early Years infrastructure. Budget 2026 must be the budget that finally links State funding to fair pay for workers.”
She added: “Quality for children is undermined by persistently high levels of staff turnover, which average over 50% per year in many private services.”
As part of the Union’s pre-budget submission, SIPTU is demanding direct State investment to fund a 10% increase in Employment Regulation Order (ERO) minimum rates and the introduction of higher pay scales that properly recognise the experience and qualifications of educators at a cost of €130 million.
The Union is also calling for the full publication of financial reviews of service providers to show where public money is being spent. Furthermore, employers must be compelled to provide accurate data, including detailed breakdowns of costs, income and actual rates of pay, to inform pay talks at the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) negotiations.
The Government must continue to intervene to support effective JLC negotiations. This includes resolving anomalies around parental fees and providing targeted funding where a clear need is demonstrated, ensuring all providers can meet their obligations under future pay deals.
She added: “Our demands are clear, reasonable, and essential. Ring-fenced funding for pay, coupled with full transparency, will ensure public money goes where it is intended, namely into the pockets of the low-paid women who are the backbone of this sector. The Government must publish the financial data that shows the true state of the sector and ensure a level playing field for all providers.
“We cannot build a high-quality, publicly funded Early Years service on the foundation of poverty pay and financial obscurity. The time for action is now. SIPTU is calling on the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, to take action and mandate the Department to deliver public Early Childhood Education and Care, and open the first State-run service by 2026.”