Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2021
477. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 254 of 16 September 2021, if he will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47513/21]
View answerAs noted in the previous PQ response, toilet training and nappy changing facilities have not as yet been flagged to the Department as major issues for pre-school services delivering the programme or for children accessing the programme.
However, mindful of the information shared by the Deputy, I would draw her attention to the review of the ECCE programme which is due to commence shortly. The review will give an opportunity to providers and parents to express their concerns and will also inform the future development of the programme.
The review will also give a range of stakeholders, including providers and parents, offering an opportunity to not only highlight the strengths of the programme as it has evolved in recent years but also identify potential barriers or unintended consequences that may have emerged as the programme has evolved. This review will then be considered by Government and form the basis of any future changes to the scheme.
