Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their presentations. Mr. Wolfe's submission states that most disadvantaged children do not live in disadvantaged areas. With this in mind, I ask him to elaborate on what characteristics an area based approach would need if it is to be successful and address this dilemma. Mr. Wolfe also noted that Scandinavian countries have in place early childhood education and care, ECEC, systems that are regularly rated the best in world and also have some of the lowest rates of child poverty in the world. What other measures are Scandinavian countries taking to address child poverty that are not being taken in Ireland? The submissions make clear that services must be child centred and the Government must move away from implementing reform purely as a cost saving measure towards reforms aimed at doing what is best for children and families. Are there any indications that such a shift in Government policy is taking place?