Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Acting Chairman is as lenient. I will not delay matters. We all acknowledge that the participation rate in the free preschool year is very good at almost 100%. However, participation alone is not a measure of success. I am glad the Minister concurs with my point that we need a broader evaluation focused more on the children's outcomes rather than on compliance with regulations. Will the Minister ensure that we expand the evaluation process across a wider range of our early childhood settings as opposed to only 15 out of over 3,000? I accept that it is not reflective of the entire image but it does highlight areas of concern. I acknowledged the areas of positives it highlighted but we need to focus on the area of concerns, which relate to the quality of the provision of our education. That is why I am asking the Minister when she will ensure that the policy frameworks of Síolta, Aistear and the workforce development plan will be rolled out continuously over the early childhood providers because that is what we need to see. She also made reference to the issue of national literacy and numeracy. I believe the Minister for Education and Skills has allowed €6.5 million in 2013 in respect of this area. What percentage of this budget will be ring fenced for children in the preschool year?

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