Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

While I welcome many of those changes, more progress is required. This country does not provide child care properly. We have outsourced, in effect, it to the private and voluntary sectors and the State has abdicated its responsibility. We do not invest in child care properly either. Even after the introduction of the free preschool year, we spend 0.4% of GDP on preschool education, which is approximately half of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, average. Many countries spend far more.

There is a need for reform generally in the area of preschool education. In particular, the first priority is ensuring welfare and that standards are adequate in the sector. The "Prime Time" report found that 34% of crèches were in breach of five or more regulations and that 29% were in breach of regulation 19, concerning overcrowding and upkeep of premises. Will the Minister give a more up-to-date report on compliance levels and whether there has been a substantial improvement in that area? I understand the HSE recently began the process of uploading inspection reports online. Will the Minister outline when the reports from all counties will be available online?

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