Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Reilly, back to the House and thank him for his comprehensive statement. One message that is clear from all the contributions today is that if we invest in our children, our future will be safe. As Senator Keane said, we must make sure the foundations are very strong when we are building the house. There is plenty of room for improvement in the early childhood education and care sector, as the Minister would acknowledge. This is recognised by parents, grandparents, politicians, service providers and the early child care sector as a whole. We have made strides, to be sure, but we are falling down on the hugely burdensome cost for families. There are thousands of situations in which both parents must work and where a large chunk of one salary is going towards the cost of child care. Parents should not have to work in order to afford child care, which is something we are hearing more and more often. Likewise, parents should not be excluded from work due to the prohibitive costs of child care. A recent study highlighted that many mothers are leaving the workforce each year due to the cost of child care or seeking a different job when they return in order to secure more flexible hours.

We had a debate in January with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, on the closely related topic of improving the quality of early years education. The Minister very clearly and publicly outlined areas of particular focus in her portfolio, which include increasing investment and making early years education a priority in our education system. The Minister, Deputy Reilly, referred today to the importance of cross-departmental co-operation in getting this right. Work in this area has already begun with the introduction of preschool inspections and an allocation of €600,000 in budget 2015 for the immediate recruitment of a new team of early childhood education inspectors.I would like to note that while I take on board the issues raised by Early Childhood Ireland regarding the inspection process, the inspections carried out should be consistent and complement each other, not create further work and duplication for the service provider. Further work has also begun with 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 an advisory group for early years education with a range of stakeholders represented. It is good to see so many submissions and people participating actively in it. In budget 2015, Tusla also received a welcome additional €26 million.

At a local level, I am aware of excellent work being carried out by the Genesis programme in Louth. We can discuss the money and systems in place, but when one sees something working, one has proof that things are working. Those involved in the Genesis programme were very grateful that the Minister went to Dundalk for the launch to witness the excellent work which is ongoing. The programme delivers the Incredible Years programmes to disadvantaged areas in Dundalk and Drogheda. The Genesis programme officially commenced on 1 December 2014 and is already making a significant impact locally due to the dedication and extensive planning of local stakeholders, including parents, primary school principals, community leaders and HSE representatives. I acknowledge the work done above and beyond the call of duty by all the stakeholders. I cannot single out any particular area, but the principals and teachers of the schools involved had a love for the programme. One sees true educators who are dedicated to the profession and have given young people opportunities. We have all seen the statistics and know how much money we can save if we invest in the early years. We have statistics which show that giving children the right start prevents them getting into trouble later on. I say that as a teacher of older children.

The Genesis programme targets children from birth to six years old and aims to promote and enhance the cognitive, social, and emotional well-being of the child at an early stage in life. As mentioned, the programme is already providing an effective service locally for children from birth to six years of age. This age range is crucial in children's development. There is plenty of evidence from the US to show that investment in our children at a young age reaps rewards later in life, such as better test scores, grade retention, graduation, reduced criminal activity and better labour market outcomes, to name an important few.

Children from all backgrounds deserve quality education and care at an early stage, and this includes children with all levels of ability. I welcome the Minister's reference to children with special needs. A matter that has often been raised in the run-up to a budget announcement is accessibility for children with additional needs in the preschool or early years setting. Early Childhood Ireland has identified 48% of early childhood settings with at least one child with a diagnosed additional need, and 70% of these settings have at least one child with either a diagnosed or undiagnosed additional need.

I know from experience and through meeting parents of children with additional needs that an assessment of the child usually happens just prior to going to primary school, if they are lucky. If we are going to provide the best opportunities early on, we need to provide the necessary services for children with additional needs in early child care settings. For example, psychological assessments are necessary and children should be afforded the opportunity to get special help. We need to have services in place, something which is lacking and which I have mentioned many times.

I know from many years of teaching experience that it is true for children of all abilities that when a child falls behind at an early age, it can be very difficult to gain back the ground that has been lost. Sometimes it can be done, but it proves at times more costly and difficult. We have stated today that the early years, such as two and three years of age, are the key years. This needs to be an area of priority.

I welcome the Minister's statement on qualifications. They are important and people need to have them. Qualifications for people with expertise in dealing with children with special needs is something on which I am working in the area of special needs assistants and teachers working in special schools. We refer to FETAC and different levels of qualification, which I welcome, but there needs to be specific modules in the area of special needs.

I have a 17 year old and when he started in a mainstream school, I was, and still am, grateful to it for taking him for a preschool year. He started at the age of three and it was brilliant to see him in the same uniform as the other four children and all of them heading off to primary school together. However, I got a shock when I saw that the other children in the preschool classroom were all sitting in a circle, while he was barricaded by a desk in a corner with an assistant. That stigmatised the child, and such things happened in subsequent years. It broke my heart to wonder if this was the way things would be for him in the future. I welcome the strides we have made and that things are more inclusive. The person involved with my son had no qualifications, did not know what to do and decided it was best to keep him away from the others in the class. We cannot focus highly enough on such difficulties.

We need to plan for a sustainable and affordable child care structure for families into the future. I know countless child care services throughout the country are providing an excellent service in difficult circumstances. We need to initiate a change of pace in this sector in order that children are provided with the best possible opportunities early in life and parents can choose to return to work for reasons not associated with the cost of child care but because it is what they deem is best for them and their family. An investment early in life will yield invaluable returns for thousands of children throughout the country.