Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

Go raibh maith agat a Aire for that reply. The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme is one of the developments in the child care sector which has been a shining light in terms of progress. What was a relatively realistic investment is reaping great rewards in terms of ensuring that every child, regardless of the means of their family, is getting preschool education.

The first full year of the scheme was 2010-2011 but the scheme only began in early 2010 and therefore has been developing in the past two years. It has progressed a good deal in that way but the key is not just the provision of the time and a preschool service for children. It is also about the quality, as I have no doubt the Minister is aware, particularly attention to ensuring that the Síolta framework for early childhood care is promoted and is not just a document. It is important also that the Aistear curriculum is developed at preschool because we are at an early stage of this programme and its pre-eminence in terms of its potential for young children within the Minister's Department must continue.

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