Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I was saying, I have already produced a fully costed strategy for the development of the child care sector. A lot of what has been said at today's meeting is covered in my policy document, particularly with regard to the early childhood education scheme. My document acknowledges that the capitation rate for that scheme is too low and calls for the cut implemented two years ago to be reversed. We must acknowledge that on contact time and holiday pay, the State is only paying providers for 38 weeks of the year while requiring them to pay their staff for 42 weeks. That is unsustainable and must be addressed. After-school care has been discussed widely in the media this week. The sector is totally unregulated and I would have worries and concerns about investing in an unregulated sector. The sector must be regulated before any investment in it by the State.

On the issue of quality and inconsistencies across the board, I have grave reservations about the Department's role in this area. The Department brought forward a registration process which was given legal effect 15 months ago in January 2014 but that has yet to be implemented. The new regulations under which services are supposed to operate have yet to be publicised so providers are not aware of their obligations. In terms of quality, that is where we need to start.

I welcome the fact that the issue of special educational needs was raised by the witnesses today. Just before the witnesses arrived today the committee heard of correspondence from the Minister explaining that yet another interdepartmental group would be established to look into the issue, comprising the Departments of Health, Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs. That group is expected to report in September of this year. While that is welcome, I will be forgiven for being somewhat cynical about it because we have spent the last four years highlighting what needs to be done. We are all aware of what needs to be done: a new, targeted special educational needs fund must be rolled out on a national basis to remove any of the inconsistencies that currently exist. Access to services should not be about where a child is from. Geographic location should not determine whether a child with special educational needs can avail of a free pre-school year. A recent report showed that 21% of service providers refused admission to children with special educational needs, which is an absolute scandal. I hope the aforementioned interdepartmental group bears fruit but I am somewhat sceptical, given that we are still waiting for the national inclusion plan which was supposed to be published two years ago. The time for plans and interdepartmental groups is finished. We want to see real and tangible action now.

One of the issues of concern raised today was the number of agencies that service providers must deal with, including Tusla, the Department of Education and Skills, pre-school inspectors, Pobal, Better Start and so forth. I have been arguing for several years for the development of one comprehensive inspectorate to inspect all aspects of the service, including environmental, educational and developmental. That is all that is needed. That would reduce costs and would be far better in terms of quality assurance going forward. It always amazes me that the Government has identified the need for educational inspectors to inspect the service because of the educational component. At the same time, however, if service providers apply for a rates exemption, they are told that they are not an educational facility. The Government cannot have it both ways. My party put forward amendments to rates legislation which went through the Houses recently to exempt pre-school services from commercial rates because they are, in effect, an educational facility. Indeed, they are a very important educational facility providing educational services at a key stage in a child's life.

I would also like to see the extension of the community child care subvention scheme. The manner in which that is being dealt with at present is segregating children from better-off and less-well-off areas. That must be addressed.

There must be an incremental increase in investment in this area. There must also be an increase in the provision of maternity and paternity leave. There must be an increase in capitation to acknowledge and recognise the qualifications of those working in the service as well as non-contact time and holiday time. Then, and only then, when all of the deficiencies within the service have been identified and addressed does the party that introduced the first free pre-school year believe that we should introduce a second free year.