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

I welcome our witnesses and thank them for their presentations, which will be important for us. This is the first of three hearings focusing on child care. As elected representatives, it is vital that we engage, listen to opinions and consider all of the ideas presented to us.

The purpose of this important report is to devise credible suggestions and solutions for an agreed pathway towards tackling the major challenges facing families and the child care sector. Some positive steps have been taken, for example, the free preschool year, but many elected representatives have highlighted a number of challenges. We are coming from a good starting point.

As part of my work as special rapporteur on child care, I have taken part in a number of consultation meetings and public meetings across the country. Several of the issues raised by the witnesses are those that have been raised with us. We want this report to enjoy an all-party consensus and to make strong recommendations.

I will highlight a number of matters. The witnesses should feel free to agree or disagree with my points. Regarding a vision for early childhood education, child care must be seen as about more than just caring for and minding children. It is a critical part of a child's development and education. The use of terminology is important if we are to value and recognise the important and diverse work that child care services provide.

Regarding the consolidation of child care services, the importance of having an efficient, affordable, accessible and quality child care sector is dependent on having a co-ordinated and consolidated approach to it. Underfunding, red tape, bureaucracy and responsibility shared between multiple Departments and agencies are seen as barriers to progress. A more consolidated sector under the remit of one Department with strong oversight and governance is vital.

The child care sector needs to be better valued and recognised by the State if we are to professionalise and improve the quality therein. There is an overreliance on community employment, CE, schemes. Funding pressures and a lack of accreditation and proper pay and working conditions for staff are seen as barriers to improving quality in the sector.

Regarding targeted funding initiatives, we must increase funding into community and State-led schemes, extend maternity and paternity cover and guarantee the quality of the first free preschool year before extending a second. Child care tax credits for families are not necessarily the solution, but investment in quality child care is the solution. The Government needs to conduct an assessment of the cost of running a professional and quality, State-led child care service and then use this as the benchmark for decision making rather than the other way around.

Regarding child care, job creation and in-work poverty, the lack of affordable and accessible child care is a barrier to many citizens, mainly women, from entering the labour force. It is also a key driver of in-work poverty and low pay. If we are to have decent work and a living wage for all, we must invest in child care. This is critical in terms of making work pay and reducing unemployment.

Social inclusion is vital in developing child care policy. Members of our new communities, Travellers and the parents of children with physical and-or intellectual disabilities need added supports. The lack of special needs assistants, SNAs, in early child care services is a form of discrimination against children with complex needs and disabilities. Equality must underpin child care services.

I will ask a few short questions. What are the witnesses' opinions on the subvention scheme?

Should it be made available to privately run crèche services? Would there be a capacity to supply services for a second free preschool year, given the resources and manpower - womanpower - that are available? Would it be better to increase the 38 weeks to 52 weeks or 48 weeks for the purposes of job security for those working in the sector and continuity of care for children? Should children with special needs be guaranteed two free preschool years to ensure that they are given sufficient care? Where a child is diagnosed during a preschool year and is not ready for a mainstream school, he or she often needs to stay at home if the child's parents cannot afford to send him or her to school during the year when he or she is not ready. What is the solution? Who should provide the special medical and physio therapy equipment required by children with special needs?