Project Ireland 2040: Will life be better for children and families?

Among the key objectives of Project Ireland 2040 is to provide the social, economic and cultural infrastructure which will make the country a better place for children and families.

According to Minster for Children Katherine Zappone, Project Ireland 2040 and the associated National Development Plan offer a blueprint to ensure that child and family services can develop to meet best international standards.

“We have lagged seriously behind on childcare,” says the Minister. “To correct this, investment is up 80 per cent since 2015. This plan sets out how we can and will increase that even further. On supporting, protecting and caring for the most vulnerable, we are taking big steps forward. It is 20 years since Mandatory Reporting was first proposed to protect our children. It is now a reality. We are rolling out our innovative Access and Inclusion Model for children with disabilities and from next month every group working with children must have published a child protection statement. Project Ireland 2040 provides the capital investment to put in place an infrastructure which will allow that work to grow.”

Pointing to specific measures in the plan which will make life better for children, Ms Zappone says Project Ireland 2040 builds on progress already made. “Our current capital investment in childcare will increase eightfold from the current investment of €7 million a year. This will allow even more childcare spaces. There will be new purpose-built childcare facilities as well as extensions to existing early-years services along with other initiatives needed to build the truly accessible, affordable and high-quality childcare system which Irish families deserve. Transforming one of the most expensive childcare systems in the world into the best is an ambitious goal – but is one which we are achieving step-by-step.”

Of course, the plans involve more than capital investment alone. “Figures this week confirm that the families of over 67,000 children already enjoy extra supports for childcare from new measures we introduced in September. That work will also continue.”

Education

Tanya Ward of the Children’s Rights Alliances welcomes the increased investment in childcare but believes that more is needed.

“There is an €8.8 billion commitment to education and €400 million for childcare but the same number of children go through the two of them,” she notes. “That’s a big difference. Countries with best economic outcomes tend to have universal childcare support. However, the plan also talks about home-based care. That’s interesting and welcome as it shows that the State is trying to come to grips with that as well.”

She would also like to see greater investment in Tusla, the child and family agency.

“Tusla needs the facilities to do its job but there has been no commitment to family resource centres around the country. I would like to see that. We are only really catching up in support for families in this country.”

Cliodhna O’Neill of the ISPCC takes a different approach. “For us the biggest single infrastructure issue is housing and homelessness,” she points out. “Over 2,300 children are homeless at the moment. The key to that is supply. Anything that increases supply is a good thing. The commitments in the plan to reaching the Rebuilding Ireland targets are very welcome.”

Another positive aspect of the plan is the acknowledgement of the right to housing.

“This is very encouraging, and we were very heartened to see that,” says O’Neill. “Decent housing has a massive impact on children’s lives. Rural broadband is another key issue. We provide a listening service to children and they need to be able to access that in the way that they choose. If that is online and they haven’t got broadband access, that’s a problem.”

Early years

The plan refers to a 10-year, cross-government Early Years Strategy to be published this year. “As lead minister I have been working very hard on preparations for the Early Years Strategy,” says Ms Zappone.

“It will ensure that we have the best possible services, care and protections for all children up to the age of five. The introduction of a universal childcare support for all under three-year olds last September and the commencement of a full two-years of free pre-school for all three-year olds from this September have given us strong foundations. The strategy will help us build on that. I will be asking other Ministers to get involved too. We must look at how we can improve health, education and social benefits to ensure our toddlers get the best possible start in life.

“The Early Years Strategy is an important priority for my department,” she says. “Preparations are advancing, and I look forward to making announcements in the coming months.”