Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú:

However, what I would say is that the Government commenced with funding a one year early years education programme and has now increased it to two years of preschool education. This is really important for the future of Irish education and has the potential to play a significant role. A section of our Department supports the quality provision in the sector embedded in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. We have a group of inspectors in the Department of Education and Skills funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs doing early years inspections on a systematic basis for the first time. We have supports, again led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, for children with special educational needs in the sector for the first time in the past year following dialogue between ourselves and the Department of Health. An increasing amount of support and resources are going into the sector.

There is a need to change and upskill over time. That takes investment and we are working with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in that regard. We hope to see significant changes over time in the effectiveness of education generally as a result of having the two year preschool experience in place on an universal basis. We are really positive about that. We do not shy away from working with the stakeholders across early years education in that regard.