Childcare waiting lists in Ireland soar as sector calls for urgent staff pay reforms in Budget 2027

Early Childhood Ireland warns that waiting lists for childcare places for children under three have reached over 46,000, urging the Government to prioritise pay parity and staffing support in Budget 2027 to prevent further sector decline.

Early Childhood Ireland has urged ministers to make Budget 2027 a turning point for childcare, warning that waiting lists for places for children under three have climbed to as many as 46,241, according to Pobal’s annual sector profile survey. The organisation said the pressure on providers has intensified as many settings reopened after the summer break, leaving families struggling to secure a place and, in some cases, reshaping work plans around a shortage of care.

The latest Pobal figures show more than 214,001 children under three were enrolled in early years places in 2024/25, while 46,241 remained on waiting lists. Of those waiting, 7,830 were under one year old, 19,536 were aged one to two, and 18,875 were aged two to three. Early Childhood Ireland said the scale of unmet demand suggests a system under serious strain, even though some families are likely listed with more than one provider.

Frances Byrne, the group’s director of policy, said the sector needs action to attract and keep staff, arguing that fee reductions for parents alone will not create enough capacity. The organisation is asking the Government to set a date for pay parity for early years and school-age care graduates, double the graduate premium in core funding and pay for three in-service training days a year in every setting. Byrne said qualified staff are leaving for better-paid jobs in education and other sectors, with many earning about €15 an hour.

The warning comes against a backdrop of broader instability in the sector. RTÉ reported earlier this year that nearly 1,000 early years services have closed since 2019, even as the number of new services opened has lagged behind. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has pointed to progress elsewhere, saying the number of childcare services on school premises is at an all-time high, but Early Childhood Ireland says those gains will not matter unless staffing and pay are addressed quickly.