Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The child care professionals who are present this morning are expert witnesses and they have made very good submissions. I will not play to the gallery. Ms Grogan Ryan was not able to go through her very comprehensive submission. I wish it could all be put on record. I have been involved in education for 31 years. I agree with Senator van Turnhout. One of the reasons pay is so poor is that it is a female-led profession. Men would not work for the money involved.

High-quality teaching, learning and care is of the utmost importance in getting the necessary outcomes. We must put children at the top of the pyramid and all the rest of us must serve them. The witnesses know as well as I do that we have come through an economic disaster in this country, but we are now at a stage at which the economy is improving. We must work with the child care sector to ensure we have the best outcomes and services for the children without those involved being exploited. Pay in the sector is appalling. I know many owners of preschools, care workers and professional staff who cannot get mortgages. I also know primary school teachers who cannot get mortgages in Dublin. That is by the way.

The witnesses are fighting a winning battle. Money was flung at buildings in the past and there was no thinking behind it, but now we have the Aistear programme, which is fantastic. We are seeing children who have participated in it. In recent years teachers have told me that children are coming to school much better prepared.

Experts might complain about what I say, but as a primary teacher and principal I know that one could nearly write the CV of a child within three weeks of their starting junior infants, and I am sure the child care professionals present can see that as well. The necessary input is vital at an early stage of a child’s life. Parenting has not been mentioned, but it is so important. Child care professionals are in a unique position to help parents guide their children, as I am sure they see the deficits in parenting. Child care professionals are on the front line and have a way of getting to the parents.

I am going to stop talking. I wish to be fair to Ms Grogan Ryan. Deputy Seamus Healy asked for a wish list. I was going to ask about this. We have not got a magic pool of €500 million or €1 billion to invest, even though we know we need to invest. Therefore, we need to proceed slowly and think about how to proceed. What are the most important requirements, in order of priority? I will do my best for the witnesses.