Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee for asking me to come before it today to discuss issues relating to the quality of early childhood care and education in our preschool services.

Those services have, for more than a decade, suffered as a result of an excessive and unbalanced focus on bricks and mortar and supply of places, rather than on quality assurance, workforce development and outcomes for children. From the moment I became Minister I have said that we must focus on quality early years interventions and parental support, as all international research and experience shows that the supports provided to children in their early years results in improved outcomes for children and an economic and social return to the State. For a long time that fact has not been reflected in Government policy.

Previously I addressed the Seanad on why we were moving our emphasis towards early intervention, some months ago. I outlined the benefits that can accrue both in terms of better outcomes for children and in terms of economic return to the State. I spoke of our legacy of providing direct cash payments, instead of investing in services. As I told our colleagues in the Seanad, we have lagged behind many other developed countries - when it comes to our early years sector and we must improve quality standards and workforce capacity in all sectors of child care and early years services.

What we witnessed on the "Prime Time" programme two weeks ago today was distressing, shocking and absolutely unacceptable. The footage shown will have disturbed every parent in the country and I am particularly conscious of the huge distress caused to the parents of children attending the crèches identified. The poor practice, the dereliction of duty and care, resulting in the appalling mistreatment of young children is currently and rightly the subject of a thorough and comprehensive investigation by both the HSE and the Garda. In addition Gordon Jeyes, CEO-designate of the Child and Family Agency, has commissioned a review and analysis of past inspection reports so we can identify the patterns of non-compliance, with particular reference to the for-profit chains. I consider it to be of critical importance to get a national picture of what has been found through inspections. That has not been done previously. I expect an interim report in July and a final report in September.

While the practices of individual staff, highlighted in the broadcast, raise serious concerns, the roles and responsibilities of management must also be questioned. I wish to advise the committee that, at my request, Pobal is engaging with the three child care providers featured in the broadcast with respect to assessing compliance with their contractual obligations. In the past two weeks I have held a series of high-level meetings to discuss the broader issues and our ongoing work programme. The meetings included Pobal, the INMO who represent the public health nurses who carry out inspections in child care services, SIPTU who represent some staff in child care settings, Early Childhood Ireland, which is represented here today, the Association of Childhood Professionals and the Department of Education and Skills, as well as holding detailed discussions with Gordon Jeyes, Annie Callanan and Fiona McDonald from the HSE who are also with us today.

Our work programme with respect to preschool quality is, of course, part of a broader Government agenda that focuses on children's services. In line with the programme for Government the Department is pursuing an ambitious and comprehensive reform in the area of child and family services, including establishing, for the first time, a dedicated Child and Family Agency with a dedicated focus on children, legislation for which will be published imminently. The programme for Government also contains a commitment to improve quality in the free preschool year.

I have been progressing work on Ireland's first-ever early years strategy. Last year I established an expert advisory group, which includes national experts in early childhood education, child welfare and health and well-being, along with leading representatives of the early years and child care sector. I expect its report by September.