Govt 'not ready' for free pre-school

The Government has made no effort to cushion children from the impact of the recession and is completely unprepared for the introduction of universal pre-school education next year, the Labour Party claimed today.

Announcing details of its new children's manifesto in Dublin this afternoon, the Labour Party's leader Eamon Gilmore said he believed that Fianna Fáil's late conversion to universal pre-school education was more to do with saving money than creating a high quality school system for children.

"With only seven months to go before every three-year-old will be entitled to a free year of pre-school education, we still do not know what curriculum they will be following, if any, or if there are enough places or qualified staff to meet demand," he said.

Mr Gilmore claimed that instead of protecting children from the impact of the recession, the Government had increased class sizes, abolished book grants for disadvantaged children, and cut resources for children with special needs and for those at risk of dropping out of school.

He said that despite a decade of unprecedented economic growth in Ireland, there were huge gaps in investment and services for children. Mr Gilmore said that Fianna Fáil’s close relationship with the construction industry meant that a whole generation of children were growing up in suburbs where safe places to play, childcare facilities, schools and even pathways were insufficient.

The Labour Party said that if it were to serve in government it would reinstate the school book grant for disadvantaged students and reverse the decision to axe special needs classes.

Among other promises included in the party’s children’s manifesto are the introduction of a legal right for parents to take a career break without risking future benefits or job security and of the HPV vaccine for young teenage girls.

The Labour Party also said it would introduce an arts, cultural and sports-based summer recreation programme for young people and make PE a Junior Certificate and Leaving Cert subject.

In addition, the party in government would mandate RTÉ to provide children’s programming during the day when there would be no advertising allowed.