Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for that engagement. However, I was in London to meet with Keir Starmer and other colleagues from our sister party, the British Labour Party, as well as with the Irish ambassador, Martin Fraser. While we were there, a report was published by the Institute for Public Policy Research and the charity, Save the Children, that made a recommendation central to this point of childcare. It recommends a universal childcare guarantee be introduced in Britain as a means of boosting economic growth and cutting inequality, particularly gender inequality. That sort of visionary moment is needed here.

We need to see a vision set out for the provision of early years education here in Ireland, a vision akin to that of the Fianna Fáil Minister, Donogh O'Malley, 50 years ago, when he introduced free secondary education for all children. It was a groundbreaking vision that has changed Irish society so much in the intervening half century. However, we need to see that vision rolled out and a Donogh O'Malley moment for early years education. We need to see a universal childcare guarantee of the sort being pushed for in Britain done here. Will the Government commit to that sort of visionary approach to childcare in early years education?

See this speech in context