Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá an ceart ag an Teachta agus tá an ceangal ann idir an Roinn sin agus mo Roinn. Bhuail mé leis an Aire ó thaobh an pholasaí a bheith againn agus chun an polasaí a chur chun cinn. I have spoken to the Minister on how we can be mutually supportive in what we can do. I should have said about the question of the naíonra and so on, that it falls within the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth but we are also engaging with it as part of this policy. It is a policy from early years right through so it is working on that space in what mechanisms and supports can be put in place there. I see the benefit for any school of having a childcare facility or naíonra close to it. I particularly see the benefit of it in rural schools and it has been an inordinate blessing to many rural schools that they have a stream of potential children coming forward. We have engaged with the Minister for the Gaeltacht and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the whole thing.