James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have given my response. I am perfectly happy to approach the Department of Education and Skills in the context of the school completion programme.

It may be that we should join with the Irish Youth Justice Service too in terms of Garda diversion and so forth and gather its views on it. We will pursue it.

Deputy Ó Caoláin spoke about having a single inspection service for the ECCE scheme. Having dual inspections is not unique to this country. They do it in the North of Ireland and many other countries as well. This is an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills, and I have spoken with the Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. We are both of the view that we want to minimise red tape for operators. We do not want to be making life miserable for them with inspections every second day of the week. While we are not at a point to be able to say there will be single inspections, that is what I would like to see. We will work closely with the Department of Education and Skills to ensure this happens. At this point in time, however, I cannot guarantee that this will be the initial situation. It is what I would strive for, though, and I would welcome the Deputy's support in achieving it.

I will let the Secretary General address the details on the wording of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, or BOBF as it is called, and the reference to the 2014 to 2016 period. I agree that an interdepartmental group is important. We now have a wonderful opportunity to look at this area and to get more coherence and cohesion in respect of the money we spent on it. It is not just about education. Child care issues have to be examined as well. We have to support parents to support their children in order to get the best outcomes for children. We cannot just look at zero to six year olds alone. We need to look at the problems parents have in the areas of primary school and older schoolgoing children as well. The idea behind this is to have a proper analysis. Everyone puts their cards on the table and arising from this we will get a menu of options. The Government can then decide, if extra money is available, how and where it should be spent. It is equally important to look at the money we are spending at the moment to ensure we are getting the best outcomes for children from it. Sometimes we get involved in things because of the ad hocnature of the way certain services have evolved. People are giving up their time and feel they are doing the right thing. However, when one analyses the outcomes, sometimes the results are disappointing. A better result might be achieved if the focus was shifted slightly. Everyone working in this area is doing so in the best interests of children. There is no doubt about that. This, of course, is in our own interest because the children are our future. I think we all acknowledge that.

I thank Deputy Doherty for her welcome for the interdepartmental group. We do not have information to validate her contention that the 5% is made up mainly of children with a disability. Some of these children have disabilities. In the case of other children, their parents have decided that they will be schooled at home. There are children in DEIS schools and there are other children who are technically in other schemes. It would not be true, therefore, to give that impression. However, having said that, we need to get the figures so that we can speak with absolute authority rather than with supposition, as I have just done and of which I am always nervous.

I am a huge supporter of making more support available for children with disabilities in the ECCE scheme and have no problem writing to the Minister about it. However, this is a Government decision. There are 10,000 special needs assistants in the education system. We do not have a comparative level of support in the early years programmes. Not alone should we have it, we must have it. I will fight very hard for funding to achieve it. This is where it all begins. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcome. Many of these children have huge potential to be tapped into.