Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Sullivan, to the House to debate how we can improve the quality of early years education, which is a key priority and of great importance to her. She has clearly and publicly outlined areas of particular focus in her portfolio, including increasing investment and making early years education a priority in our education system. I welcome her statement that work has already begun to improve the early years sector, including the introduction of preschool inspectors. I agree with Senator van Turnhout that perhaps it is something the Minister could examine again with a view to leading. There is the saying that too many cooks spoil the broth, and the Minister has said one will complement the other, but perhaps we could have a leader in order that people are clear on what exactly is required in the inspection.

I welcome the introduction of Better Start, the new national early years quality support service, the announcement of the first major review of education and training programmes that lead to qualifications in early years care and education, and the creation of the advisory group on early years education, with a range of stakeholders represented. Budget 2015 represented a further investment in education and the early years, with an increase in current spending of €60 million, which sounds amazing but is a drop in the ocean in terms of what we can do to help improve services in education for our young people. While we will have 1,700 new teachers and special needs assistants to meet the growing number of children in the schools nationwide, the early years service is an area we need to separate and in respect of which we need to consider providing specific additional funding. The announcement of the allocation of €600,000 to immediately recruit a new team of early childhood education inspectors is welcome, as it will promote and enhance good educational practice. I agree with Senator van Turnhout that there must be education-focused inspections on early childhood education facilities participating in the free preschool year programme. I hope that is the case and that clear guidelines will be in place to complement Tusla, as the Minster said. That is something we should closely monitor.

I too am completely supportive of the continuation of the free preschool year, from which 68,000 children benefit each year, but we can go further. I am a strong supporter of a second free preschool year. We spoke about children with disabilities. That is a huge issue and one I deal with on a weekly basis. People who have children with special needs would have half the free preschool year one year and the other half the next year, but they do not know how the child is behaving from one week to the other. There must be more flexibility, and children with special needs should definitely have an entitlement to a second free preschool year.

When we talk about very young children in that preschool year, and I can only speak for my own county, I know that the early intervention services and the disability services can be very good. We cannot forget that and put it under an umbrella service. I have found in my area that while disability services for children under the age of four can be very slow to get started, they are very supportive in ensuring that a special needs assistant is with the child to give it every advantage. Regardless of whether that works throughout the country, it is something we must focus on to ensure that children with special needs get not only equal treatment but the extra support they need.

With regard to the qualifications for early child care professionals, the annual survey conducted by Pobal looking at the early years sector found a very wide range of qualifications. I welcome that from September this year it will become a requirement that everyone working in early years education and directly with children will be required to have a level 5 award on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Excellent work is being funded and carried out at a local level. In my county in November 2013, €1.5 million in funding was announced for the Louth Genesis Programme by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs for an area-based childhood programme. I congratulate and commend everyone involved in the Genesis Programme, as they recently completed all stages, and the Louth Leader Partnership signed the area-based childhood programme contract in November, with the programme officially commencing on 1 December last. The school programme was developed by a working group of primary school principals, parents, HSE representatives and community leaders to support local children and their families. The programme has more than 60 consortium members and will deliver the Incredible Years programme to disadvantaged areas in Louth, both in Dundalk and in Drogheda. As with many areas and issues, early intervention is key. The recognised target group for this programme is zero to six years of age and the group proposes to invest in evidence-informed interventions to improve the long-term outcomes for children and families living in areas of disadvantage. Having visited the schools involved and seen the work done by the individual teachers, principals and other members involved, the work is phenomenal, and I have no doubt this programme will ensure that many hundreds of children, with the support of their families, families, will stay in education. That is the key to any success in any education programme.

The Incredible Years programmes aim to promote and enhance children's cognitive, social and emotional well-being at this very early stage of life. The project has only just officially begun, but many years of work and dedication have ensured that this important programme will hit the ground running and provide an effective and necessary service for many children and families in Dundalk and Drogheda. I congratulate and commend all involved on their hard work and dedication in ensuring that this programme will reach the local children. I have no doubt of the positive effects it will have, not only for the children of Louth but for their families.

I recognise and appreciate that there is still additional work to be done to address issues and improve the quality of our early years sector. Affordability remains a major issue for many parents. When it comes to children's education and well-being, many parents, educators and politicians would agree that we can never invest enough attention, funding and resources to improve the educational, social and emotional outcomes for our children at any age.

This area needs to remain a focus for the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. An investment in early years education is an investment in the future. The Minister, Deputy O'Sullivan, is committed to improving the quality of early years education and I am committed to working with her in that respect.

Let me mention the school completion programme. I have met representatives of schools and many teachers involved in the programme. I acknowledge this is moving on but I would really appreciate the Minister's comments today on the current position on funding. Schools should know what exactly they can do and the current position on the programme. I met a group in recent months and am meeting it again this week. I have seen at first hand the absolutely brilliant work done in my area. The programme in the area has kept hundreds of students in school. The service is vital, and it is vital that it be retained and adequately funded.