Childcare and early-years educators are appealing to the Government to recognise the importance of their work.
Demonstrations calling for increased wages for the early childhood workers took place in Dublin, Cork and Sligo earlier.
The Association of Childhood Professionals says more funding needs to be invested into early childhood education here.
The association says Ireland invests point 2 percent of GDP into childcare, which it says lags behind the EU average of .7 percent.
Mick Kenny, Chairperson of the ACP's Kilkenny branch, says money invested in children at a young age, pays dividends in the future:
