Leitrim will continue to lose their most qualified childcare staff at these unsustainable levels

Leitrim Early Years and School Age graduates are leaving the industry in Leitrim due to poor pay and now Early Childhood Ireland, amid ongoing recruitment and retention challenges in the county, is calling on the government to name a date to bring their pay within public sector pay and conditions, in line with primary school teachers.

Leitrim’s turnover rate stands at 33.8%.

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, Cllr Maeve Reynolds said that in recent years, the government has taken steps to ease costs for parents through the NCS scheme—but affordable childcare is of little value if families can’t access it. "Our childcare workers care for our most precious resource, yet their pay doesn’t reflect their responsibility, qualifications, or dedication. The high turnover rate highlights a sector in crisis. Without urgent investment in the workforce, services will continue to struggle and families will be left without the care and support they need," she concluded.

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While the government is working towards a graduate-led workforce, official figures show that the average staff turnover rate stands at 33.8% in Leitrim. Nationally, over 2,000 staff who changed jobs or left settings in 2023/2024 had an NFQ qualification Level 7 or above, according to Pobal, the organisation that administers Early Years funding.

In its Budget 2026 submission, the organisation has urged the government to name a date to introduce pay parity for Early Years and School Age Care graduates, who are educated and trained to the same level as their peers in primary education.

Frances Byrne, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, said, “Guaranteeing public pay and conditions for Early Years and School Age Care graduates would mark a turning point for settings in Leitrim. As things stand, we are losing too many talented educators to sectors offering better pay and greater security.”

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Commenting on this, Ms Byrne said, “The government is moving in the right direction, but unless a new urgency is brought to the pay issues, Early Childhood Ireland’s 35 member settings in Leitrim will continue to lose their most qualified staff at these unsustainable levels.”

Public Pay

There have been recent proposals to increase minimum pay rates for staff by 10 per cent. This will increase base pay, as per the Employment Regulation Order (ERO), from €13.65 to €15 an hour.

Ms Byrne said, “Any increase is welcome, and it is essential that the government maintains financial support for these rates of pay. However, pay levels for the Early Years and School Age Care workforce are still at the mercy of two annual processes, the Joint Labour Committee’s deliberations and the annual Budget. Year after year, staff wait to learn what lies ahead, while key benefits such as annual increments, pensions, and maternity leave top-ups remain out of reach.”

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“Bringing Early Years and School Age Care graduates under public sector pay in line with teachers will not only offer a significant degree of certainty and security to staff in Leitrim, but also finally acknowledge the instrumental role they play in children’s lives,” Ms Byrne concluded.