Madam, - Brian Lenihan is quoted as saying that the Labour Party's commitment to introduce free pre-school education for all children "smacked of the universalism surrounding free-third level fees" (The Irish Times, August 8th).
The Minister for Children is absolutely correct. Our commitment to free pre-school education is rooted in the Labour Party's core conviction that education should be universal and free.
We believe that in a fair society everyone should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Such are the benefits of high quality pre-school education for a child's development and subsequent education that it should be available free to every child if their parents so desire.
That the Minister for Children does not believe that every child should have this chance is a sad reflection on an exhausted and out-of-touch administration. Labour is determined to ensure that the next Minster for Children will take a different view. - Yours, etc,
Senator KATHLEEN O'MEARA, Labour Party Spokesperson on Childcare, Seanad Éireann, Dublin 2.