Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to see research being produced that uses the excellent data provided by the Growing Up in Ireland study funded by my Department. I aim to ensure that all child care policies are firmly grounded in evidence, and I welcome this report as a contribution to that evidence base. The study is a useful contribution to our knowledge about care of children at age three and the impacts of this care. The single affordable child care scheme will be open to children from the age of six months up to age three on a universal basis, with targeted support for those most in need at that age range, and for older children. As such, children in the age category captured by the study will qualify for funding under the new scheme. Many of them are likely to qualify for funding under current schemes.

The study's findings that half of children are in non-parental care at age three, and that more than half of these are in formal child care services, mirrors the Department's existing knowledge of usage patterns. The study also found that family financial difficulties, such as debt problems and difficulty making ends meet, were associated with poorer outcomes for children. This accords with international evidence. Findings such as this strengthen my commitment to working with the Department of Social Protection and other partners to reduce child poverty and deprivation. In relation to the impact of care, overall the study suggests that five year olds cared for in centre-based care, or indeed other forms of non-parental care at age three, are as emotionally and socially healthy as children in parental care. The study also finds that a range of other factors relating to child and family characteristics are of far greater importance for five year olds' emotional and social well-being. Some evidence that centre-based care provides more beneficial effects for children from disadvantaged backgrounds are noted in the study but the effects are small.

The Deputy referred in particular to the issue of high-quality care and the potential this has to offset social disadvantage. The study does not comment on quality of care available in Ireland directly. Rather, it highlights a need for more research on the quality of child care settings and providers and on differential impacts of different levels of care quality. I am committed to initiating a baseline review of quality in the sector as an initial step towards this.

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