Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry I was delayed coming in, but I was watched the contributions from my office. As a parent of four children who are now adults and teenagers, I remember how in the early noughties we had four children in Dublin 4 who were under the age of six. Childcare cost €900 per month at that time. Like many of our contemporaries, we both had to work in order to pay the mortgage. That is the case because of the demographic and societal change. That was €3,600 euro per month for childcare and that early childhood experience. I remember at the time the discussion at Cabinet was almost exclusively about trying to provide subsidies for first-time buyers. It struck me, as a parent and as a citizen, that the whole issue of childcare was completely and utterly overlooked in Irish society. At that point - and I do not mean to be ageist - the average age of the members of the Cabinet was somewhere in the mid-60s. The membership of the Cabinet was almost exclusively male. I am wondering - and the witnesses might comment on this - whether we have a peculiar societal issue. The participation rate by women in our political system is very low. I do not think the people who make the decisions that the witnesses are looking for are necessarily representative of our society.

I also have to say that in a previous life I was a primary school teacher. I taught for two years. I remember having junior infants when I was on teaching practice. Teaching infants is not for the faint-hearted. I know from having been a primary school teacher about the developmental window for children and infants. People are pretty much formed by the time they are two or three years old. It is such an enormously important period of rapid development. There is an opportunity here for the State to invest in that through the representatives. I hear them loud and clear about the pressure they are under. It seems to me to be so anomalous that such a vital and important set of concerns are almost being overlooked. There is the potential to invest in people and our citizens. Not just vulnerable children but all children benefit from what we all share in common, namely, our aspirations.

I just have two questions, the first of which relates to why the representatives think we are outliers. I imagine we are outliers in terms of investment in the early years sector. Why is that the case? Is that a cultural and societal thing, because heretofore caring for children was seen as an exclusively feminine realm? In prior generations, an extended family was available to people, whereas now we live in a completely different set of circumstances. People are completely and utterly isolated and both parents are forced out to work. This is not through choice but through absolute necessity. I wonder why we are outliers. Is it something to do with the demographic makeup of our decision-makers?

The second question arises from my travels. I was always struck by the l’école maternelle system in France and similar systems throughout Europe where the state does properly fund and invest in early childhood years. Is that a model the representatives recommend for Ireland, or is there a model of best practice they have seen in another jurisdiction that they think would benefit Irish society?

I want to thank all the witnesses for coming before the committee. I have an idea from my previous employment experience of how hard they work. I often hear them being interviewed and trying to advocate for the sector. I wish them the very best in pursuing the agenda which will be of benefit to us all. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee and for giving their evidence.