The manager of a childcare centre in Co Roscommon has criticised the amount of core funding for early years in the budget, saying more money is needed for the sector.
Amy Dowd, who lives in Four Mile House with her husband Ger, a farmer, and 17-year-old son Dylan, said she is disappointed more money has not been pledged to help the sector’s employees.
While she welcomed the decrease in childcare fees, Mrs Dowd said it will not help staff wages.
Mrs Dowd, the manager of a community-based childcare centre, said: “That won’t do anything for the providers in increasing the amount of money that they’re taking in each week, because we can’t really increase our wages unless there’s extra income coming in.
“While we got extra money through core funding for an increase in wages that took effect this week, I wanted to see that amount increase again so it would see staff wages continue to go up.”
The Siptu activist added: “We can’t do another round of pay talks unless there was devoted money for staff wages and an increase on last year’s budget. That is vital.
“Even the continuation of the universal social charge makes things tough for families. If they took that away that would have been something.
She added: "Everything is going up. I went to buy Flora butter and it was €7. I put it back as I couldn't believe it.
"The food is going up slowly and slowly and the cost of everything is going to be terrible by winter.
"The electricity hasn't got too bad yet, but we haven't hit the really hard times. It's going to be very difficult I think for families, especially if they have young kids."
But she welcomed the €600 energy credit to help reduce household bills and a €1,000 cut in third-level fees.
"That is a positive thing. But it only works as long as the bills then decrease after those three payments are done," she added.
"My son is in his last year of secondary school, so it's university next year, and that means more bills.
"He was in Dublin for a talk with all the universities and they're encouraging people to travel to different countries in Europe to do their third level studies.
"We're going to lose a lot of our children and a potential workforce to overseas, because if they settle in the Netherlands or in Germany or somewhere else after going to university there, they won't be coming back."
Mrs Dowd also welcomed inclusion of farmers as part of the energy prices support scheme for businesses.
Mrs Dowd's husband is a suckler and sheep farmer and is set to benefit from the move.
"It will definitely help because we have sheep and during lambing the lights need to be on all the time and that costs a lot of money, and the cost of electricity is going to be super high.
"If we can counteract a certain percentage for the farm and have it go on the cost to the farm, then that'll be a huge benefit."
