Pre-school education - No excuse for neglect of toddlers

IRELAND'S failure to invest realistically in the vital area of pre-school education is a damning indictment of a government that poured millions into an equestrian centre for political pals.

The criticism is all the more pointed given the OECD warning that if we are to catch up with our European neighbours, we must invest heavily in the pre-school sector.

By any analysis, Ireland comes badly out of this comparison with the rest of Europe as well as with most OECD countries. Only 4% of three-year-olds here receive publicly funded pre-primary education compared to over 90% in countries like Belgium, France or Italy.