I am in the middle of an ongoing conversation with some of the most passionate, professional, kind, caring, and dedicated early childhood education and care professionals that I know. We are joking about leaving the sector. In fact, we have been joking 1/7 #childcare #Budget21

about it for the last few years. Except that tonight, well, it has a different feel to it. This time, it's less funny & more defeated. These are women I would trust my children with. Passionate educators with degrees, masters, decades of experience & award winning services 2/7

I'm completing a PhD. I am 40 & I have never in 18 yrs earned the equivalent of a primary teacher. I have no pension & I am typical. We all do voluntary work outside of our jobs to help improve the sector & children's experiences. Our professional expertise always is for free 3/7

We have engaged with sectoral NGO's, research, policy initiatives, attended government consultations...all on our own time & our own dime. We are defeated. All we want is professional recognition, a living wage followed by professional pay scales. In order to provide quality 4/7

Education & Care experiences for the nation's youngest children. Our sector needs a better quality of life. Pride in our work is only sustained for so long by love of the job. Professional love doesn't pay the bills. How much longer do we expect a predominantly young female 5/7

workforce to put off having their own children, put their lives on hold, to live below the poverty line, to not be able to escape abusive home lives due to lack of financial independence, no mortgage approval, no loan approval, no pension in order to provide quality care 6/7

& education for the children of Ireland? Why is it acceptable to demand this of them? Of us. We are defeated. What happens when we can no longer go on & care for your children off the backs of our own lives. The trade off is too much. 7/7 #Budget2021 #Childcare @rodericogorman