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

Since my appointment as Minister I have consistently highlighted the importance of investing and supporting quality interventions in the early years of children's lives. There is an increasing body of Irish and International evidence which quantifies the benefits of early years interventions in terms of improving children's outcomes and in delivering significant economic and societal return to the state.

In line with this commitment, I announced that I would lead the preparation of Ireland's first early years strategy, which I indicated should represent an innovative and dynamic blueprint addressing 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. This will represent one of three, more detailed strategies under the children and young people's policy framework which is currently being developed by my Department.

I have appointed an expert advisory group, chaired by Dr. Eilis Hennessy of UCD, to advise my Department on recommendations for inclusion in the strategy.

I have been asked by Deputies Troy and Ó Caoláin when I was getting the report. I have received the report and the recommendations and I will publish them shortly. I thank Dr. Eilis Hennessy and the group, which represents a wide range of organisations working in the early years, for their time, commitment and hard work over the past year. I met the group on a number of occasions and it had consultations with many organisations. Once the report is published, I ask that the group has a consultation day to discuss the recommendations with a wide stakeholder group. I hope the Deputies from this House will attend. It will be a useful day in terms of the blueprint for the early years. That is a key step in the development of the early years strategy.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

I am pleased to advise Deputies that the group has completed its work and I have this week received its report and recommendations which I will publish very shortly. I thank the members of the group for the dedication and enthusiasm they have shown and the time they have committed to the work of the group. The expert advisory group report represents a key step in the development of the early years strategy and will provide a very strong foundation for a robust and meaningful strategy. I expect the finalised strategy to be published later this year. The final strategy will be further informed by the growing body of international and domestic research on the importance of early years for child development, including findings from the "Growing Up in Ireland" study. It will also be informed by the evaluations from the prevention and early intervention projects which have been funded jointly by my Department and Atlantic Philanthropy. The major programme of institutional change which is under way, including the establishment of the child and family agency, will also be taken into account.

Budget discussions are ongoing at present and will determine funding provision for 2014. I expect the early years strategy to identify opportunities for more effective utilisation of existing resources and funding as well as priority areas for further investment through funding availability over the life of the strategy.

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