Majority in Munster say Government failing to tackle early‑years education shortage

Early Childhood Ireland Barometer found 61% of adults in Munster support better pay and conditions for early-years graduates

Early Childhood Ireland Barometer shows 81% of people in Munster believe every child should be guaranteed access to early‑years and school‑age care within their community.

More than half of adults in Munster say the Government is not doing enough to address the acute shortage of early-years places available for children.

The finding comes from a new survey published as about 40,000 children under the age of three remain on waiting lists countrywide — including 3,947 in Cork alone.

The ninth annual Early Childhood Ireland Barometer, published on Thursday, shows 81% of people in Munster believe every child should be guaranteed access to early‑years and school‑age care within their community.

Some 79% say early‑years education should be made free for all children, similar to primary school, while 72% believe parents should receive financial support to stay at home with their child for the first 12 months.

The barometer also found 61% of adults in Munster support better pay and conditions for early-years graduates, with many saying those holding degrees aligned with teaching qualifications should receive the same terms as primary school teachers.

Early Childhood Ireland director of policy Frances Byrne said it was clear “the system does not meet the needs of children and families". 

“This year’s poll shows that over half of adults in Munster believe the Government is not doing enough to address the shortage of early-years places, signalling a clear demand for urgent, decisive action,” said Ms Byrne.

The survey combines public opinion data with policy analysis to track Government progress on key commitments for the early-years and school-age care system.

“From our analysis, it is clear that the Government needs to address funding and staffing issues urgently to address challenges with capacity. Early Childhood Ireland has long advocated for bringing early-years graduates under public sector terms and conditions, in line with primary school teachers,” said Ms Byrne.

Without better pay and conditions for the workforce, capacity cannot increase, and waiting lists will remain a reality for thousands of children and families.

Ms Byrne added while there had been “some significant progress on key commitments, workforce issues continue to lag behind".

“Given the unsustainable Cork staff turnover rate of 28%, we are calling on the Government to take urgent action to address the underlying issues around pay and conditions,” she said.

The survey of 1,007 adults was carried out by Red C.