Ms Frances Byrne:

I mean where there are not pre-existing challenges. If, for example, a mum, or indeed a dad, began to experience mental health difficulties after a child has been born, spending a couple of hours a day with a childminder or in centre-based care might help her.

It is similar if there are pre-existing challenges for that family. To be clear, Early Childhood Ireland agrees that in the vast majority of circumstances, the country and society should be supporting babies being at home with mum and-or dad, depending on the family's circumstances. However, we also need to recognise, and it is recognised in First 5, that additional interventions may be needed. We cannot comfort ourselves and say that from some point in the future, crèches will only be available for one-year-olds up. If I was asked to say it more coherently, that is how I would put it. It is just a caveat. It is so important that babies are afforded the right to be with one or both parents during the first year but that does not always work for every family.