Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to speak this morning. I particularly welcome Ms McMonagle from the Donegal County Childcare Committee. It is great to see the committee from my home county doing such good work and presenting that work to us today. I would also like to commend Mr. Gray and Indecon on the report they have prepared. I further welcome the representatives from Start Strong, who are exceptional advocates for early-years education.

Quality is the number one issue, no matter what angle one is coming at early education from. We must always try to improve the quality of the services that are being provided. Early child care and education provision has mushroomed in the last ten years and is still finding its feet in many ways. The introduction of the free pre-school year was the single most significant development in this area in recent times. Deputy Mac Lochlainn mentioned the Scandinavian model of child care provision. Access for all families, regardless of income, to child care is crucial and is what we should be working towards. In the meantime, in the absence of a model which suits everyone, the issue of the affordability of child care for those who wish to enter or return to the workforce is the most pressing. At the moment, many families do not have that choice, particularly those on lower incomes.

I ask Mr. Gray to expand on the overall cost of introducing the model he advocates. How do the representatives of the Donegal County Childcare Committee and Start Strong see that model fitting in with the proposal to provide a second free pre-school year? How do they see the quality agenda being progressed in that context?