The Government has approved a pay increase for early learning and childcare workers which is set to begin on September 15.
The Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English, announced the news this morning on Twitter, revealing that there will be a new wage structure and new minimal hourly rates for various roles in the early childhood education and childcare sector.
The TD for Meath West said, “This is an extremely important sector and I’m glad to be in a position to be able to announce this. As minister, I have approved employment regulations orders to provide the first ever minimum rates of pay for roles in the sector”.
New pay agreement to provide pay increases & wage structure for early learning & childcare workers to commence on Sep 15th
— Damien English TD (@Damien_English) September 7, 2022
I’ve approved the ERO to provide minimum pay rates for roles in the sector
Supported by Minister @rodericogorman through Government’s Core Funding Scheme pic.twitter.com/m8q9IWi5w2
Damien revealed that the new minimum hourly rates of pay are as follows:
- €13 for early years educators/ school-age childcare practitioners
- €14 for early years lead educators/ school-age childcare co-ordinators
- €15.50 for graduate early years lead educators/ school-age childcare co-ordinators
- €15.70 for deputy managers
- €16.50 for managers
- €17.25 for graduate managers
Minister English also added, “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”.
This will be the first ever minimum rates of pay for roles in the early learning and childcare sector, with approximately 70% of staff expected to see a pay increase.
The pay increase is supported by the Government’s €221M Core Funding Scheme, which has been announced as part of Budget 2022. The pay increase has been revealed alongside the Government's promise to freeze parental fees.
