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

The Minister initially stated that in recent years she has focused on the improvement of quality. She will recall that a number of weeks ago - prior to any reports on RTE television programmes - I raised the issue of quality in the context of the need to get matters right with regard to the initial free pre-school year before we consider the introduction of a second year. I am ad idem with the Minister in respect of the need ensure that we get matters right in the context of quality. Sometimes when listening to her, however, one would think that nothing was done in the area of child care in the 15 years prior to her appointment. I remind her of the huge investment that was made in order to put in place the physical infrastructure that was needed to ensure that there would be a sufficient number of child care places. I also remind her that a previous government was responsible for introducing the Aistear and Síolta frameworks and the workforce development plan and establishing the county and city child care committees. It is clear that work was done previously. In addition, the Minister alluded to section 5 of the existing regulations. It must be remembered that those regulations were introduced by a previous Administration in order to ensure that the health, welfare and development of children would be catered for in the pre-school sector. At the committee meeting to which I referred earlier, the Minister gave a commitment to amend the Child Care Act prior to the summer recess. Does that commitment stand?

See this speech in context