Ms Teresa Heeney:

I warmly welcome Deputy Murnane O'Connor's support of our recommendation of a five-year plan, especially her agreement with our recommendation that there be a shift towards capacity being the requirement, rather than attendance.

It is important to remember that we never have these kinds of discussions about children once they turn five and go to primary school. We only have them when children are under five and attending an early years setting. I echo what our colleagues in the Children's Rights Alliance said about how a rights-based approach to the enhancement of the early years system will allow us achieve a quality system. I also want to remind us why we need to retain staff. The central characteristic of good early years practice is the relationship between the educator and the children in a setting. A high turnover, as described by Mr. O'Connor, does not deliver good quality for children. A good model, such as the Nordic model spoken about by Senator Clonan, guarantees access, the quality is consistent and the staff's terms and conditions of employment are similar across the entire education spectrum. They are the characteristics of the system. We should advocate for public funding into our system, which builds on the existing system we have, to achieve those outcomes we are looking for.