Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to the House. She is always welcome, and she had a successful time here as a Senator. I again congratulate her on getting the referendum through last year, the benefits of which will come to fruition in time. Every decision taken now can show the benefit of that referendum, particularly the right to adopt children from a so-called married family situation, which was an anomaly that deprived many children of a second chance. That was one of the most significant points in that referendum, which was unanimously passed.

We in Fianna Fáil welcome the Minister's commitment to develop a national early years strategy and the setting up of the expert advisory group to advise the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on its preparation. We believe the Minister must make a commitment in the early years strategy to put in place the supports that will be required to deliver high quality staff and positive outcomes. I compliment the Minister on her detailed contribution which provided comprehensive information.

The OECD 2011 economic survey of Ireland emphasised that for Ireland to preserve its strength in human capital, we should recognise the importance of preschool education in having both a positive impact on later educational performance and an equity enhanced effect. In that regard, one of the major successes of the previous Government was the establishment of the preschool year. Fianna Fáil is proud of its prioritised investment in the early education and child care sector during its time in government and is committed to ensuring that early education for children continues to be a policy priority under this Government.

Fianna Fáil welcomes the setting up of the new expert advisory group.

The free preschool year is vital, and I compliment the Minister on maintaining that. It was an area on which she would have come under a certain amount of pressure, but it was important that she held the line on that because a possible option at the time would have been to remove it. The preschool year in early childhood care and education was introduced by the former Minister of State, Barry Andrews, in January 2010.

Children are eligible to participate in the scheme if they are between three years and three months and four years and six months in September of the relevant year. The scheme has been an outstanding success. In September 2010, approximately 4,300 preschool services - 95% of all such services - were participating in the scheme and 63,000 children - 94% of all eligible children - were availing of the preschool year.

I have seen at first hand the benefit of the preschool year for children. I benefitted myself from a wonderful preschool life as the youngest of eight children who was at home with my beloved mother who was born in Glasgow. Every family cannot have that one-to-one preschool education with a very intelligent woman. We listened to Scottish music and chat on the radio and I was very reluctant then to go to school as life was so wonderful and pleasant on The Walk in Roscommon town. While the surroundings were humble, the most important thing, namely, love, was present. The knowledge that he or she is wanted and loved is the most important thing for a child. Eventually, I went to school in Roscommon and decided that having a schoolbag was not a very good idea. I hid mine for a month or so and it meant a much nicer time. I was blessed to meet Sr. Anthony, my first teacher, at the Convent of Mercy in Roscommon town. She was a wonderful, beautiful person who died recently, God be good to her. The classes were large with up to 50 children in the room. She provided us in the first years with love and individual respect as if every one of us was that important. Her ability to do that for every boy and girl was key. The classes were mixed which was lovely. Teaching and teachers are vital to the confidence one builds up. I look back on those years which had a very simple but sound quality. The Sisters of Mercy and other orders have come in for severe criticism in relation to the Magdalen laundries which is tragic, but the teaching provided at primary school level was second to none. The nuns were well-qualified as teachers and had a nice, humane approach. That is my personal experience.

The work the Minister is doing is vital to allow children to have the confidence to learn. Learning is a continuing experience, as the Minister knows. I was in a different Government Department. One is given so many briefs and discussion documents and learns all the time. Not every family can have one parent at home - both may have to work - but I have witnessed through my granddaughter the excellent work that is being done in preschools. There is a lovely, confidence-building approach. Whatever else the Minister does, she should maintain the service. It would be wonderful to expand it. It is not free, it is paid for by the State but it gives families a great start. The interactions between children at that age are wonderful. They learn continuously and the earlier they are exposed to education, the better it is. Early language learning is very important also. It is not the Minister's responsibility, however, but that of the Minister of Education and Skills.

Appointees with responsibility in this area previously included Brian Lenihan, Brendan Smith and Barry Andrews, but Deputy Frances FItzgerald is the first at Cabinet level. Her predecessors were in the Cabinet room which was a step in the right direction. She has taken over and built on their work. I wish the Minister well in her work. She is doing an extremely good job and I wish her success in setting up the agency. She has a great deal of work to do and has my full support.