Every morning when I drop my son off and every evening when I come home to my wife, I am reminded of the very serious challenges posed to our early years sector. While it is very welcome that the joint labour committees, JLCs, have been established under the programme for Government, will the Tánaiste commit to resources being provided by the Government to the men and women, predominantly women, working in this sector and that they will be adequately provided for to ensure they can have a living wage and a true pathway to a professional wage?

The Government supports the establishment of a JLC to establish new minimum terms and conditions for people working in the childcare sector, to help us further professionalise that sector and to improve the terms and conditions in it. We also realise that will have an impact on childcare costs. We need to be honest with people about that, but it is worth it if it means people working in the sector will get a better wage, the sector is professionalised and standards improved in the coming years. This project is being led by the Minister of State in my Department, Deputy English, but it is important to point out that JLCs require the co-operation of employers and staff.

Provided that is in place, we will make sure it happens.