Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the Seanad to discuss this important topic, one that needs greater attention from all parties. I share the Minister's support for greater levels of investment in early intervention programmes for children and her endorsement of universal services in this area. With my Sinn Féin colleagues, I have long advocated that the State learn from the Nordic countries which have proved to be world leaders in the area.

While we have a Minister for Children and Youth Affairs who clearly understands the policy interventions needed to address issues of child poverty and a Government which proactively enshrined the rights of children into the Constitution, the Government is still implementing policies and budgets which are increasing the number of children in poverty and cutting vital funding from educational and youth services. These cuts are having a detrimental impact on the well-being of children, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. While I do not question the Minister's sincerity, I have to judge the commitment to improve the well-being of children, particularly those living in or at risk of poverty, on the Government's actions.

Figures show that 270,000 children in the State suffer some level of poverty, while the latest statistics from the Central Statistics Office show a further 35,000 children have fallen into poverty. Yesterday Barnardos, the National Women's Council of Ireland, OPEN and Start Strong called for an additional investment of ¤2 billion in child care to benefit early development. They argue this investment should target child care provision, child literacy and numeracy and increase the attendance of children from disadvantaged backgrounds in school, all of which would have benefits for the children involved, society and the economy. We continue to underspend in this area. Currently, we spend 0.25% of gross domestic product on preschool education, while in Denmark the figure is 1.3%. At the same time, our child poverty rate is 11.4%, while in Denmark it is 5.4%. Our higher level of poverty is not solely due to underinvestment in preschool education and early intervention, but there is still a relationship between the two.

The Minister asked whether it was realistic to talk about increased investment in early intervention in the current economic climate. Senator Keane Cáit has pointed to the savings such programmes can make for the State. Countries which invest more in preschool education and early intervention have stronger economies and more stable and equal societies.

I have had many cases raised with me recently concerning the diagnosis and assessment of autism spectrum disorder. The waiting list in Cavan stands at 25 months. While families are waiting for an assessment, the children concerned cannot be offered resource teaching hours or home support help. This flies in the face of the promise to provide for early intervention. More cases are arising and I have many families coming to me where the child should be in first or second class but is still in junior infants. They are not getting the supports they need because of the length of the waiting list for diagnosis. If they seek a private psychological assessment, they are told it is not sufficient and that they must wait for an assessment by the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, or the child and adolescent mental health services. How is the Department of Children and Youth Affairs working with the Health Service Executive in dealing with this backlog and ensuring the children in question do not miss out on their education? It will cost us more in the long run if we do not intervene now to help these children and ensure they receive these supports. It is putting strain on children, their families and schools when they cannot access these resources.