Category: Press Release

Teresa Heeney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland spoke to Jonathan Healy on Newstalk Lunchtime today about the announcement by Jan O’Sullivan, the Minister for Education (as reported in Irish Independent) that creches and other preschool providers will be subject to school type inspections, to check on the quality of education they offer, as part of

Early Childhood Ireland calls for easy access inspection reports that are up to date for parents The latest wave of inspection reports are again making the headlines and Early Childhood Ireland is calling for a radical overhaul of the inspection process urgently. Nobody can defend the litany of breaches listed on the front page of

Teresa Heeney reiterates Early Childhood Ireland’s pre-budget call for specific staffing supports in preschool for children with additional needs and a funding stream of €36 million to make this happen. Adding Early Childhood Ireland’s voice to this debate sparked by investigations by the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman following a complaint from the mother of

Statement from Teresa Heeney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland who is presenting a plan for the development of the early childhood education sector under the invitation of Senator Jillian van Turnhout to members of the Oireachtas today Wednesday 18th June. “The early childhood education sector is a pressure cooker of high expectations and low investment

Early Childhood Ireland calls for funding stream of €36 million to make this happen “We know from recent statements that the Minister for Education & Science is keen to develop a more equitable and accessible system for special needs assistants (SNAs) in primary and secondary school, but he must understand that meeting the needs of

Early Childhood Ireland thanks children’s champion Frances Fitzgerald Minister for Justice and welcomes Charlie Flanagan new Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, whose priority challenge must be to fuel the early childhood education sector with the right level of investment. Statement from Early Childhood Ireland CEO Teresa Heeney: “On behalf of our 3,400 members employing

Primetime to cover quality childcare agenda tonight Thursday 29th May One year on from Primetime’s ‘Breach of Trust’ Teresa Heeney CEO of Early Childhood Ireland says real investment is what is required to progress the quality agenda in early childhood care and education Post the RTE Primetime Investigates programme ‘Breach of Trust’, broadcast one year ago,

Capital funding announcement leaving 70% of sector out in the cold CEO of Early Childhood Ireland opens conference in Croke Park today (Saturday 5th April) with criticism of capital funding scheme announced yesterday by the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, which leaves 70% of the early childhood sector out in the cold. Calls for

300 delegates at Early Childhood Ireland conference in Croke Park are warned that a “Surplus safety” attitude to child play is preventing children from learning while obesity has reached a “tipping point” in Ireland Doctor Catherine Woods, lecturer in exercise psychology and physical activity for health in DCU and Professor Donal O’Shea had some stark