Cllr Haughey said, “I have been fighting for many years now for the right of every child to receive a fully funded preschool place and to ensure that parental choice is upheld. This commitment in the Programme for Government is therefore very welcome and long overdue.
“However, the Department of Education must now live up to this commitment because in that past it has not. When Caitríona Ruane was Minister she too claimed to ‘provide one year of funded preschool education for every child whose parents wish to avail of it’ but in reality this was simply not the case. I have represented many parents over the years whose children were unsuccessful in obtaining a place in their local preschool setting and instead were offer places 20 miles away. This must never happen again.
“I am calling for all children to have the right to attend their local preschool setting. That means the money is allocated to the playschool or nursery of parent’s choice rather than the Department of Education allocating set numbers or limits to preschool settings from an office in Belfast. Places must be allocated on the basis of need/demand.
“We should never have the situation again that a child living beside a nursery should have to travel to a preschool setting elsewhere. Parents from Poyntzpass, Markethill and Tandragee should not be forced to send their children to preschool as far away as Crossmaglen.
“In order for this commitment from the Programme for Government to mean anything it must address these problems and for once actually provide the opportunity for all children to attend their local preschool setting, regardless of birthday, family income or background. This also means that all preschool settings should be properly resourced.“I sincerely hope that this is what the Programme of Government will deliver.”
ENDS