Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. To make a declaration of interest, I am the chairperson of Early Childhood Ireland, but that is a governance role and I am not necessarily advocating its positions.

My first question is in regard to inspections. Is consideration being given to bringing inspections together and to who should take the lead? There is a strong role there for the Department of Education and Skills. I am concerned about the rates of pay for those working in the sector. One sees advertisements at assistant director level for primary health care nurses, who are not qualified in child care, to be in the position of inspecting people in child care who are qualified and who are being paid less than the minimum wage. The State has something to say about that. With regard to the inspections, I heard of a case early this week where a child care setting was told that children under three would no longer have access to the sandpit because there are six steps up to it, and we all know that children do not live where there are steps. It is as if children live in a flat world. Many crèches find that we are not allowing children to deal with steps, negotiate hills and so forth. I worry about it the more I visit child care settings. They all have mats and it is all a safe flat world. I appreciate Dr. Fergal Lynch's comments regarding the outcome for the child, but are we really seeking to have that lifelike and realistic environment?