Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach. From my experience over the past four years, I am well aware of those complexities but I am also of the strong belief that if we just continue to pump money into the existing system and continue our reliance on the existing system, we are not going to be able to deliver the sea change we need to ensure every child has access to the quality early learning and care he or she needs.

There seemed to have been an agreement across political parties during the general election, but the desire and opportunity to provide leadership at the start of a new Government's term is not apparent in the programme for Government.

Yesterday, in response to a question from Deputy McDonald on special education, the Taoiseach cited the constitutional right to primary education. However, there is no right in the Constitution or in legislation to the two years of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. The Taoiseach's party promised that in its manifesto and Fine Gael promised it in its manifesto but there is no reference to it in the programme for Government. That is part of the State taking parental involvement in the delivery of-----.

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