Vol. 504 No. 7
243 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, being taken to ensure access of a child to good quality pre-school education; if his Department has examined recent EU developments in this area; the steps, if any, his Department is taking to bring Ireland into line with other EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13012/99]
The main involvement of my Department in the area of pre-school education is in the implementation of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996, which provide for the supervision and inspection by health boards of pre-school services. The purpose of the regulations is to build on the existing good standards in our pre-school services and gradually improve standards throughout the sector to secure the health, safety and welfare of pre-school children and to promote the development of children attending pre-school services.
My Department has participated in the expert working group on childcare which published its report in February. It is also represented on the interdepartmental committee subsequently established to evaluate, cost and prioritise the proposals in the report and the child care proposals in An Action Programme for the Millennium, the report of the Commission on the Family and the report of the Forum on Early Childhood Education. This committee, which is chaired by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, has been asked to report within a time-frame of six months.
The expert group endorsed European targets which refer to the educational element of child care. The group also recognised in its report that the needs and rights of children should be a primary consideration and that care and education are inextricably linked elements in a child's holistic development. I am certain that this focus will be continued by the interdepartmental committee.
