Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the visitors to the Gallery. They are nearly all women, but there are one or two men. We need both in politics and it would be great to see all of them on this side of the House. We need both sexes in the Oireachtas, as I said, and I extend a particular welcome to our women guests.

Will the Leader allow us a few minutes tomorrow to pay tribute to Senator Feargal Quinn? I support colleagues' comments in this regard. Senator Quinn has done the State some service, which is a quip that was made by somebody else. If we look back at the Senator's history in this House and the legislation he has brought through, we see it is true in his case. Only last week, he brought forward a Bill on the regulation of drones. Senator Quinn is never one to drone on and bore people; his contributions are always very relevant and exciting. Senator David Norris is not here at the moment but I hope he will be back. I saw him on television the other night. He and Senator Quinn are two of the most senior Members of the Oireachtas and that seniority has very evidently brought wisdom in both their cases.

In my first week in the Seanad in 2011, I spoke about the importance of education, particularly early childhood education. A report today in The Irish Timesby Peter McGuire points to the difference in funding for primary, secondary and third level education. The author notes that primary schools receive 92 cent per pupil per day while secondary schools receive twice that. For every €8 spent on primary education, €11 is spent at secondary level and €15 at third level. Primary school certainly is a very important time in a child's life because it impacts strongly on formation of character, educational attainment and so on. However, the preschool period is more important again in this regard and every €1 spent in that area is vital.I ask the Leader for a debate on this. The rates are €62 per week per child, or €73 if the person has a level 6 preschool qualification, but the teachers are not paid and the education system as a whole is left to the private sector. I want a full debate. I started here in 2011 stating there should be early childhood education for every child, not just for children of working parents but for every child because zero to three and three to six are the most important formative times in a child's life. I recognise what the Ministers, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald and Deputy James Reilly, have done in government because we have moved a long way, but we still have a long way to go. I want to see it first thing on the agenda for the new Government that we will have a serious debate on the funding and importance of early childhood care and education as related to this. It is shown that it pays back. For every euro spent, one gets €10 back, so it is not investing money in nothing. It is investing money in the future of our country.

I do not have time obviously to say anything about Terry Wogan, but Senator Mary Ann O'Brien said it.