Dr. Margaret Rogers:

I thank the Deputy for her question. I will address the second part of her question and perhaps colleagues will respond to the earlier parts.

In terms of a co-ordinated central unit and leadership, I agree that is extremely important because we have seen, as mentioned earlier, how there can be an awful lot of really good projects done at a local level, of which the ABC programmes and others are examples. Consistent delivery and integration into the mainstream, as far as possible, of progressive universal services so that children and families who avail of those services do not themselves feel stigmatised by the process, and the process of progressive universalism, as implemented through the AIM project, demonstrates how that can happen.

To answer the second part of the Deputy's question on a universal child care system, this country has the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. It is a fully publicly-funded universal programme that caters for children aged three to five years. ECCE is on a par with any of the models that operate in other European countries that we might look to as models of provision in other circumstances. Where we are lacking is in extending the programme to both younger and older children. The core funding model, which was published in the past two weeks, alongside the workforce development plan indicates a direction of travel. It has put a strong statement by Government on the table in terms of the intention to move to a much more publicly-funded and publicly-managed system. We look forward with great anticipation to seeing that begin to be implemented.

Our sense, again under the EU guarantee, is that every child should have a right to access equal quality, and the availability of early learning and care to meet their needs from a child-centred perspective rather than exclusively from the perspective of a labour market intervention. The balance needs to be struck in terms of what is in the best interest of children, what will benefit them in their educational journey starting from birth, and how that will be consistently supported and have consistent quality.

The workforce development plan is very welcome. It is an extension of incentivised qualifications to work with the youngest children.

These are children from birth to three years who are in day care settings. I suppose we can see the beginnings where we are moving towards that process and, I hope, the notion of working in partnership for the public good. It is about building the infrastructure and competent system that will enable us to move to a fully funded public system over time.