Dáil debates

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Other Questions

Early Childhood Care Education

10:10 am

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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6. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the 0.2% of gross domestic product investment in early-years services by comparison with the average of 0.8% across OECD countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27318/15]

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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Some 0.2% of GDP in this country is allocated for early years services by comparison with an average of 0.8% across the OECD. Does the Minister accept that the early years services model, dating from the Administration of Fianna Fáil, is not acceptable, and will he deal with the issue? Should a lot more money not be devoted to early intervention and child care?

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Funding of more than €0.25 billion is invested annually by my Department in early-years services. This funding, which is in addition to the direct support provided to all parents in the form of child benefit, supports more than 100,000 children each year. This high level of investment has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary circumstances that prevailed in recent years.

The rate of 0.2% of GDP, quoted by the Deputy, only represents my Department's expenditure on the free preschool year provided under the early childhood care and education programme, amounting to €175 million. This figure does not include my Department's expenditure on the community child care subvention programme and the training and education child care programmes, which amounts to an additional €70 million per year.

Further, the OECD, in drawing international comparisons on public expenditure on early years services, adjusts for cross-national differences in the compulsory age of entry into primary school. Therefore, for countries where children enter school at age five, such as Ireland, expenditure on early years services is adjusted by adding up the expenditure corresponding to children aged five who are enrolled in primary school. When Ireland's expenditure is adjusted in this way, the OECD reports that Ireland actually spends 0.5% of GDP on early years services compared to the OECD average of 0.8% of GDP.

I would like to be in a position to increase our investment in early years services to be more in line with the OECD average. This will take time as the benefits of economic growth generate the required resources. However, I am determined that all such spending, whether existing or additional, will be based on good evidence and co-ordinated strategically so that we achieve the best possible benefits for children. To this end, I established the interdepartmental group to develop a coherent whole-of-government approach to investment in early years and after school care and education. This group will report shortly and will present the Government with costed options for increased investment in quality services over a period of years.

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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A report commissioned by Tusla and the Irish Research Council is to be published soon by NUI Maynooth. It will show that the early childhood and after school care and education system offers too little too late in a child's life to have any real impact. Since the introduction of the early childhood care and education programme, child poverty has not decreased. It has almost doubled, from 6.3% in 2008 to 11.7% in 2013, the year for which the most recent data are available. A further 17.9% of children are at risk of property. Children are 1.4 times more likely than adults to live in consistent poverty. These are shocking figures to feature under the current Government's watch. Even during a recession, governments have choices. The choices made in one or two other countries in Europe have been to protect the most vulnerable but the Irish Government has failed to do that. Irrespective of the Government's interdepartmental review, these issues must be dealt with very quickly and very seriously.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I take issue with the Deputy's analysis of the Maynooth report. It does not state it is too little too late-----

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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That is what I am saying.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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-----but refers to the need for further supports to achieve the better outcomes we seek. The early childhood care and education programme has helped considerably and there is a lot of evidence to support that. However, there is a need for further assistance and support, and that is why the interdepartmental group is so important. As with many steps taken in government, there is a need for cross-departmental involvement to achieve a coherent approach so we do not end up with silos of activity that sometimes do not complement one another. I believe the report will be good. It is currently in its final drafting stage and I hope to have it very soon. It will add greatly to our ability to plan in a more complete way for meeting the needs of young children under the age of six.

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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Child poverty, in particular, and adult poverty, which has increased recently, could have been prevented had the Government made different choices.

The Minister said the previous Administration left a terrible system in the HSE, which is correct. At that stage, I believe approximately 70 people were awaiting scoliosis treatment in Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin. However, under the present Administration, 174 children are waiting for those services four years on from 2011. In certain areas things have got worse for children and that money urgently needs to be put into early years services across the board.

10:20 am

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Government is very concerned about the child poverty situation in the country. Hitherto we have not had the resources to address this issue in any meaningful way, but the resources are becoming available. I am not saying we can cure this problem overnight. It is very hard to undo a situation that grew up over many years. I will not get into political point scoring about the state of the country's finances, but we have to be realistic. Many different things need to be done, not just with children, but in the health services, in education infrastructure and many other areas.

As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I believe in children being the future of our nation. I believe in their right to a present, not just a future, that should be safe. It is a priority for me that they can learn to their fullest ability and feel connected and respected. Across Government we need to examine further how to address the issues of child poverty in a way that will address it completely and in a fashion that is sustainable.