Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I have a number of questions for all the witnesses. I will start with the witnesses from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The witnesses spoke at length about early childhood care and education, ECCE. My question is about full-time versus the three hours and the fact that only 30% of children attend crèches on a full-time basis. The rest attend at home, so there are only three hours where we know there is over 90% attendance in the early years sector. What is the Department doing in respect of a targeted approach to capture the 90% attendance? What is it doing for everyone who uniformly gets the same approach? Some of the children who attend ECCE come in with their little lunches, so how does the Department work with regard to the healthy eating policy in educating parents and staff and, most important, informing the children?

What is the strategy for the ECCE sector? Guidelines are in place for children in full-time childcare, with meal plans, the three-week menu rotation and so forth, but I am very concerned to ensure that everyone is getting adequate information.

Reference was made to the capital grant. Is it adequate? Is there enough funding available to the early years sector? A sum of €4.4 million is provided on an annual basis but not all of that is for outdoor play. Many childcare facilities are expanding to meet additional demand which is eating into their outdoor space. Is it a question of providing adequate outdoor space or ensuring that children move from a sedentary position to one of movement within the room? Is there a way of monitoring that? Not all physical activity has to take place outdoors but children should be moving every hour within the hour.

In terms of the national strategy, what is the witnesses' view of weighing children in early years settings?