Early childhood education and care provision here has been severely criticised by a major new OECD report, which calls for increased resources to bring the sector into line with standards in other European countries.
According to the OECD's Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in the Republic, the Government should consider paid parental leave for one year after the birth of a child, automatic entitlement to publicly funded pre-primary education from the age of three, and the provision of trained child assistants in infant classes to lower the child to staff ratio to a maximum of 15 to one.
It also says all young children from disadvantaged areas should have a full school day and finds that pre-school services for children with disabilities are inadequate. There is also a worryingly low level of educational achievement among Traveller children.
The report, launched yesterday by the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Ms Síle de Valera, states that while "significant strengths" exist in Ireland, including an active voluntary and community sector, Ireland falls behind other countries in a number of key areas.
Access to accredited development programmes for children three years of age or younger is "very weak", despite research suggesting that the development of quality childcare is self-financing through increased tax returns from women's work and less reliance on social welfare.
Just 4 per cent of three-year-olds have received publicly funded pre-school education in Ireland, compared to over 90 per cent in many other European countries.
Similarly, access to early childhood education for children aged between three and six is also weak by European standards, with inequality at the starting gates "clearly evident for specific groups of children".
The report's findings, outlined at the start of a major international conference in Dublin on early childhood education, are based upon an intensive review of the sector here by OECD experts in November 2002.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Ms de Valera said the policy implications of the OECD's recommendations were being considered.
This was, she said, an issue "of enormous importance to Irish society".
"The recommendations represent an important milestone in the ongoing formulation of public policy in relation to early childhood education and care in this country, and will form an ideal basis for further discussion and progress," she said.
The Labour Party last night said the report simply highlighted the Government's "appalling record" in relation to pre-school education.
Ms Jan O'Sullivan, the Labour Party's spokeswoman on education, also called for a pre-school place for all children for a year before they begin primary school.
"The findings of the OECD report on pre-school education in Ireland are a stark portrayal of the failure of the Government to distribute some of the fruits of economic success to early childhood education," she said.
OECD REPORT: main points
Extended paid parental leave for one year after birth of a child
A cap on fees and the introduction of subsidies to remove barriers for low to middle-income families
Guaranteed free morning place for every child from three years of age, followed where necessary by a subsidised fee-paying pre-school session in the afternoon.
Automatic entitlement to a place in a free accredited early education service for all four-year-old children
Continuation and improvement of the Early Start programme on a full-day basis for disadvantaged children
A comprehensive national system of services for children with special needs
A mentoring system for Traveller children to support them through primary and secondary education and increased numbers of Traveller teachers and assistants
Provision of a trained child assistant to all infant classes
The integration of all early education and care policy under one department or designated funding and policy agency