Staff shortages and waiting lists persist in County Roscommon in early years settings

Staff shortages and waiting lists remain a feature of early years and school age care settings in County Roscommon, which cater for 2,800 children, according to Early Childhood Ireland.

The latest Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey revealed that in County Roscommon there were 46 children under the age of 1 on crèche waiting lists and no places available for them; 160 children aged 1-2 years on waiting lists and just one place available; and 162 children aged 2-3 years on waiting lists and 20 places available.

Early childhood Ireland is calling on the Government to address these challenges with the first step being to set a date to bring early years and school age care graduates into the public pay system.

Recruitment and retention of staff continues to be one of the main issues faced by the organisation’s 51 member settings in County Roscommon. The latest available data shows that the average staff turnover stands at 16.4%.

“We welcome the focus on access to early years and school age care for all children, but without proper pay and conditions for staff, there simply will not be enough educators available to care for those children,” said Frances Byrne Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland.

Ms Byrne continued: “Guaranteeing parity of pay and conditions for graduates will not only offer staff deserved recognition but also go a long way to alleviating the capacity issues in the system, and ultimately support affordability for parents in Roscommon.” According to the organisation, a five-year plan and a new investment target is also crucial to building a system that is of high quality, sufficient capacity, and that is inclusive of all children.

Ms Byrne said: “There is broad political support for increased investment. With a new five-year programme being shaped, now is the time for the incoming government to propose a plan which outlines the level of funding which will be made available each year, along with clear annual priorities.” Early Childhood Ireland is calling on the next government to build on the progress made in the last five years by putting in place the steps needed to guarantee access to a high-quality, equitable system for every child in every family in Roscommon.