Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department is developing a new children and young people's policy framework which will set out high level goals for both my own and other Departments for the next five years. The policy framework is expected to be published in mid-2013 and will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland's first children's strategy which was published in 2000. This is relevant to the early years strategy, as the strategy is one of three, more detailed strategies which will be developed under the framework.

The early years strategy which will be Ireland's first ever national strategy focused on the early years is under development. It is expected to be completed and published later this year. It is expected that it will cover a range of issues affecting children in their first years of life such as child health and well-being, parenting and family support, learning and development, play and recreation and early childhood care and education. The strategy will further recognise and highlight the economic imperative and benefits accruing from targeted investment in interventions in the early years. While we previously relied on American research, we now have our own Irish research, as well as international research which highlight the benefits of investment in children in their early years.

Some of the key issues to be addressed in the strategy include the further development of early childhood care and education programmes; the need to enhance quality provision, curricular support and workforce capacity in the early years services. The question of training standards and support for those working in early childhood care and education has been highlighted by the working group. The strategy will also address the support and regulation of the childminding sector. The Deputy has tabled a question on this subject. The strategy will also examine the future development of early intervention, therapeutic and family support services to support young children and their parents.

We will bring together the research I have mentioned such as the research conducted for the study of growing up in Ireland. The strategy will also be informed by the evaluations from the prevention and early intervention projects, PEIP. We have funded this research and the results are available for the three Dublin areas of Ballymun, Darndale and Tallaght.

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The major programme of institutional change under way, including the establishment of the child and family support agency, will also be taken into account. The results of a public consultation, undertaken as part of the development of the children and young people policy framework, are being analysed and will inform both the framework and the early years strategy.

I have appointed an expert advisory group, chaired by Dr. Eilis Hennessy, head of the school of psychology at UCD, to advise on the preparation of the strategy. The group comprises external experts from a range of specialties, including paediatrics, early childhood care and education, child protection and public health nursing, and is continuing to meet on a regular basis. I have met the expert advisory group on a number of occasions, most recently on 21 January, and I am very satisfied with the progress being made in developing Ireland's first early years strategy.

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