New Employment Regulation Order for Early Years Educators and School-Age Practitioners – Ministers Dillon and Foley

10% average increase in minimum hourly rates of pay for an estimated 35,000 Early Years
Educators and School-Age Childcare Practitioners.

Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail Alan Dillion has confirmed he
intends to sign a new Employment Order for Early Years Educators and School-Age
Practitioners.

The Order will revoke the 2024 Order currently in operation for the sector and will
commence on 13th October 2025. It will provide for increases in new minimum hourly rates
of pay as follows:
-Early Years Educators and School Age Childcare (SAC) Practitioners – from €13.65
currently to €15.00 per hour;
– Early Years Lead Educators (Room Leaders) and School Age Childcare (SAC)
Coordinators – from €14.70 currently to €16.00 per hour;
– Early Years Graduate Lead Educators (Room Leaders) and Graduate School Age
Childcare (SAC) Coordinators – from €16.28 currently to €17.50 per hour;
– Deputy/Assistant Manager – from €16.49 currently to €18.00 per hour;
– Centre Manager -from € 17.33 currently to €19.00 per hour;
– Graduate Centre Manager from €18.11 currently to €20.25 per hour.

The Employment Regulation Orders apply to approximately 35,000 staff in the Early Years
and School-Age Childcare sector. While around one third of staff are already being paid
above the current minimum rates of pay, it is estimated that 67% (23,000 approximately) of
those working in the sector will see their wages increase as a result of the new minimum pay
rates.
An additional €45 million in ring-fenced Core Funding will be provided to support early
learning and care services in meeting the increased cost of minimum pay rates in the sector
This will bring total Core Funding for services to over €390 million in the 2025/26
programme year.
Minister Dillon said:

“I am very pleased to approve these Employment Regulation Orders
that will increase the hourly pay rates of approximately 35,000 staff in the Early Years and
School-Age Childcare. This is recognition of the vital role Early Years and School-Age
Childcare professionals provide to our society. Those working in the sector provide an
outstanding service to infants and children while offering invaluable support to the trust that
families place in them every day. This government is committed to building a sustainable,
high-quality childcare sector by ensuring fair pay and condition. This new ERO is a clear
commitment to the continued investment in the professionals caring for our children.”

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Norma Foley has welcomed
Minister Dillon’s acceptance of the Early Years Services Employment Regulation Orders as
they will deliver improved pay and conditions, will support career pathways, and will help to
support the recruitment and retention of early years educators and school-age childcare
practitioners.

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley said:

‘I warmly welcome the
adoption of these Employment Regulation Orders, which represents a much-needed
improvement in pay and conditions for early years educators and school-age childcare
practitioners.
The Department of Children has ringfenced €45 million in Core Funding for early learning and
care services to make these Employment Regulation Orders a reality. I welcome the fact that
this funding will be used solely for improved pay for early years educators and school-age
childcare practitioners, who are a hugely significant resource in the delivery of excellence in
the early learning and care sector.
“I would like to acknowledge the independent nature of the Labour Court and Joint Labour
Committee process and the hard work of its members in negotiating the pay and conditions
for the early learning and childcare sector. I look forward to seeing further positive
negotiations from this process in the future.”

In the 2025/2026 programme year, a new pay element of the grant calculation, the Staff
Funding Additional Contribution, will be introduced to centre-based Partner Services to
facilitate the distribution of the €45 million in ringfenced funding.

This new element of Core Funding will support Partner Services to meet the costs of
increasing rates of pay as a result of the new Employment Regulation Orders. The rate at
which the Staff Funding Additional Contribution is to be paid was agreed upon during the
Joint Labour Committee’s negotiation phase.

The Government will continue to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to
implement Employment Regulation Orders to attract and retain early years educators.