Seán Ryan
Ceist:25 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date in establishing the early childhood education agency as proposed in Ready to Learn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11811/00]
Other Questions. - Early Childhood Education.
Initial planning for implementation of the recommendations made in the White Paper, including the proposal to establish the early childhood education agency, is under way in my Department.
My priorities are the development of quality standards for early childhood education and the necessary structures to promote the quality in education mark among early education providers and parents. I am also anxious to develop further the early childhood provision for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special needs as envisaged in the White Paper.
Key principles underpinning the White Paper are that implementation be undertaken on a phased basis and that progress be achieved through a process of consultation with interested parties. My officials are currently in discussion with parties involved in the early childhood education area with a view to implementing the White Paper proposals and establishing the necessary structures. This process will be concluded shortly.
I expect to be in a position to make further announcements on this matter in the coming months.
Does the Minister accept that the participation rates in early childhood education are abysmally low compared to those in other EU states? We are starting from an exceptionally low base. The Minister spoke about the new agency having a monitoring and quality standard setting role. If that is so, perhaps he will say how it is proposed to fund the development of early childhood education, given that so much of it is currently in the private sector and that there are vast gaps in services, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Does he see the agency as having a role in funding, or will there be a separate agency under his Department to provide funding?
Under the national development plan a total of £74 million is provided for the implementation of the White Paper proposals. This figure is inclusive of funding for existing programmes – the early start pilot pre-school project, the Rutland Street pre-school project, the pre-school for Traveller children and pilot pre-school provision for autistic children. It includes funding for additional measures encompassed in the White Paper. The proposed allocations for these measures under the national development plan over the next three years are £1 million in 2000, £5.3 million in 2001 and £6.3 million in 2002.
As the Deputy said, there are a number of very valuable projects, which are mainly pilot projects, though the Rutland Street project is running for a long time. However, it is not an extensive service.
The reply is disappointing. Does the Minister accept that, given our economic prosperity and the disgracefully low level of provision for early childhood education, it is time to move beyond the pilot stage and develop a proper State funded pre-school service, as every other EU country has done? I am given no comfort by the Minister's reply. He seems to be talking only in terms of the State funding fairly miserable pilot projects. Has the Government any proposal for proper pre-school services for all children based on a proper financial footing?
The figures I gave were in answer to the Deputy's previous question. She asked what was currently being funded and I gave her that information.
I did not ask what was currently being funded. Rather I asked the Minister to outline his proposals to properly fund the sector.
The Deputy asked me to give her the figures, and I did that.
I did not ask that.
The Deputy asked what funding was being provided.
No, I asked what funding the Minister intended providing to properly finance the sector.
I told the Deputy about the funds provided in the national development plan, namely, £74 million, which is a very important development. When the Deputy's party was in Government it did not provide anything like that figure.
What are the Minister's intentions?
I was pointing out that the current provision is very small and scattered and relates to a number of pilot projects. Beyond that—
This sort of cross-questioning is out of order. I call Deputy Bruton for a final supplementary.
The concentration will be on the disadvantaged.
Who will fund it?
I ask Deputy Shortall not to interrupt as we have very limited time for questions and we want to move on.
Does the Minister believe there is a conflict of interest between the early childhood education agency managing the Department's early childhood provision while at the same time being responsible for standards and inspection? Is it a conflict that the same agency vets standards of institutions, some of which it runs?
The establishment of the agency was proposed in the White Paper and reaffirmed in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. A great deal of thought has gone into this. It will, on the one hand, establish quality marks for application generally—
That was not the question.
Minister, I ask you to draw your remarks to a conclusion. We have gone well over the six minute limit.
The White Paper proposed that the agency would function as a primary support for parents and providers responsible for executive and administrative tasks arising out of the White Paper strategy. The agency will implement these tasks and I am quite satisfied that it will be able to implement both the quality standards and the development.
Will the agency fund that?