Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the amendment tabled by the Minister, Deputy Reilly. There is little doubt that early childhood care and education are vital elements in the promotion of positive outcomes for children, and it is essential that affordable, accessible and high-quality child care is available to parents throughout the State.

The 2013 Indecon report commissioned by the Donegal County Childcare Committee found that 77% of preschool child care is provided by parents or relatives. The report also indicated that 12% of preschool children are cared for by childminders, and 19% use crèches, Montessori schools, playgroups or after-school facilities. Today in Ireland, many young parents simply do not have the choice of staying at home to rear their families. Many have very challenging mortgages and other financial commitments that cannot be met unless both parents are working. I am aware of the huge daily challenge faced by parents in getting their children up and out the door early in the morning and collecting them late in the evening. My wife and I are blessed to have two children: Alma, who is five, and Dan, who was three last week. They both attend a fantastic child care facility in Clarecastle called the Ladybird Lane Crèche.

This Government is spending approximately €260 million annually to support the provision of early childhood care and education through three child care support programmes, the community child care subvention, CCS, programme, the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme and the training and employment child care programme. The child care programmes implemented by the Department support the provision of childhood care and education for more than 100,000 children each year.

The free preschool year under the ECCE programme was introduced in January 2010. Almost all of the 4,300 preschool services in the State are participating in this scheme, and it is expected that 68,000 children will avail of the free preschool year this year. The objective of the programme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to children in the year before they commence primary school. All research illustrates the fact that the early years of child care are very important. From speaking with parents, child care providers, primary school principals and teachers, it is quite obvious that this scheme has been a tremendous success. It is clear that children would benefit greatly from the provision of a second free preschool year, and I support the Minister wholeheartedly in his efforts to realise this objective.

The CCS programme provides funding to community child care services to enable them to provide high-quality child care at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low-income working parents. Approximately 25,000 children each year benefit from this programme in more than 900 community child care services.

I welcome the approach taken by the Minister in planning for the future and in establishing a cross-departmental group to examine investment across the zero to six age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older schoolgoing children. This group will be chaired by the Minister, Deputy Reilly, and will have representation from the Departments of Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance, and the Taoiseach.

International evidence shows that increasing the qualifications of the workforce increases the quality of service provision. From September this year, all staff working in child care services will be obliged to have a minimum qualification of level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications, and team leaders delivering the free preschool year must have at least a level 6 qualification. Providing full-time professional care to children is a most important job and merits the requirement to have attained a specific qualification in line with best international practice.

Recently, the Spraoi community child care facility in Miltown Malbay in County Clare has run into difficulties. I welcome the hands-on approach of the Minister, Deputy Reilly, in helping to sort out the difficulties it is encountering. Last week we had a very successful and productive meeting with a number of his officials, and I am confident that a solution can be found in conjunction with all the stakeholders.

In conclusion, there are challenges in delivering an affordable, accessible and high-quality child care system. Undoubtedly, as the economy improves, we will have further scope to improve on the current system in a planned way in line with the recommendations that will be forthcoming from the interdepartmental working group.

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