Ms Michelle Hart:

I will pick up on the tax credit issue because I am from Northern Ireland. There seems to be an argument for direct investment in services or tax credits. In Northern Ireland we have both, so it is not an either-or situation. We would advocate that direct investment should go to services. We do see a need for lower income families to be able to come out of the poverty trap. That is one thing the tax credits would support families in Northern Ireland to be able to do. People did not register with childminders just because of that, however, they also registered because they knew they were signing up to a system whereby they were coming from the black market and would be regulated. Even though that was minimal at the beginning, they only had to sign up to one page of things.

The following year it increased and that is how we moved the child protection issue on because they had to avail of training. At the beginning all they had to do was ensure they had safety check lists in place, were moving towards child protection training and could show elements of play within their service.

The year after that it moved on and they are now working towards being in line with a full-day care service as regards legislation. It can be done, therefore. I also wish to pick up on what Ms Quinn said about ECCE schemes and things being for the private and public good. The reason we want a national media campaign is to ensure that people in the wider society and within all strands of early childhood, understand that learning begins from birth and not at the school gate. That is why it needs to be seen as a public good from birth. We advocate therefore that it is not an either-or situation. We can see how childminders can be brought into that.

We have a lot to learn from Northern Ireland, but it is a two-way process as Ms McCormilla said concerning the IFI project also. Lowering the ratio within early childhood services would support children with additional needs. Even if they have difficult additional needs, when children first come it is for a holistic experience of their early childhood place. They come with a range of needs but should be able to gain a good experience all round, not just because of their particular need.

When I am working with services, when a child comes, we support him or her by seeing how we can make the environment fit the child. How will the practice be inclusive so that the child gets the best experience alongside its peers? It takes time and effort to be able to do that, which is why we need the additional non-contact time and the capitation that goes with it.