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Remarks by President McAleese at the Official Launch of the Level Two Childcare Training Course

Remarks by President McAleese at the Official Launch of the Level Two Childcare Training Course County Leitrim Partnership Tuesd

It gives me great pleasure to be here in Leitrim today to launch this Childcare training course. I would like to thank the Chairperson of County Leitrim Partnership, Peter Tiernan, the Vice Chairperson, Mai McMurrow and the Manager, Tom Lavin for their very warm welcome.

The increasing prosperity which Ireland has experienced in recent years is a source of great pride and growing hope. How we choose to use those opportunities which that prosperity provides, is of vital importance. We can only judge ourselves to be a success as a nation if the choices we make are based on a real knowledge and understanding of the needs that exist on the ground, in every part of the country. Our goal, the destination of all our energies, must be to ensure there is real equality of opportunity in employment, in training, in childcare, in decision-making – in every sphere of Irish life – for all members of our society.

This generation is the closest to making that possibility a reality. It will not happen by accident, but it can happen if there is the commitment to do so.

Communities all over the country are demonstrating that they are ready and willing to accept this challenge. There is an enormous well of energy and determination available which requires only some support, through funding and the establishment of structures, in order to blossom.

Leitrim County Partnership is a fine example of how much can be, and is being, achieved. Earlier, I had the opportunity to meet some of the people who have benefited from their support – representatives of women’s groups, small holders, the Area Allowance Enterprise Scheme and the Education and Training Programmes. Their enthusiasm and commitment is an inspiration. They, and all of you who have contributed to the work of the Partnership, have shown in a very real way that change is possible, that no challenge is insurmountable, that people can and want to make a difference to their own lives and the life of their community.

From the outset, quality childcare services have been a priority of the Partnership Company, as identified in its 1996 Action Plan. It recognised that the provision of these services addresses multiple needs – it is an important and growing source of employment for young people; it teaches children vital social skills and builds their confidence and self esteem; and it reassures parents that their children are being cared for in a safe and caring environment. If we are to create a genuinely equal society, it is essential that we start at the beginning, with our children, especially those who are disadvantaged. It is our responsibility to ensure that they are given a headstart in life, the opportunity to develop their own unique gifts, so that they can reach their full potential as individuals and as valuable members of our community.

Leitrim Partnership recognised the gaps in existing childcare in Leitrim and set up a Childcare Working Group to do something about it. This group brought together representatives from the North Western Health Board, the Vocational Education Committee, the Irish Pre-School Playgroup Association, the Cross-Border Women’s Network and local communities and playgroups.

The members of this Working Group deserve great credit for the imagination and determination with which they approached their task. They secured funding from the PEACE Programme and the Health Board for a full-time childcare worker to help develop this new programme and support existing playgroups. They recognised that the staffing of playgroups can be a particular problem in rural areas. This was overcome by putting in place a Community Employment Scheme, in conjunction with FAS, to staff a number of the playgroups.

The next step in the process was to address the shortage of qualified childcare workers in the county. The City and Guilds accredited Childcare Level Two Course that I have the pleasure of launching here today, is the outcome of a lot of hard work and negotiation. It will provide training for participants from all over Leitrim, marking a real milestone in the development of quality childcare services in the county.

I would like to pay tribute to the staff and Board of County Leitrim Partnership, and the members of the Working Group for all their hard work and dedication. This work is now starting to pay off. In recent years we have seen an unprecedented level of energy and success by local communities in tackling the problems they face. The Partnership Companies have been at the forefront of supporting this development.

There is still much to do, but with the help of organisations such as the County Leitrim Partnership, We have that opportunity within our grasp. We must take it. For too long, the talents of so many people have been stunted by lack of opportunity. In particular we have frustrated the talent and ambitions of women and of children from poor backgrounds. This is not just a personal tragedy – it deprives our society as a whole of an immense resource, a resource we will all need if we are to continue to grow and prosper in the next century. They say what’s learnt in childhood is engraved on stone. These childhood years are central to the growth and development of a healthy, happy adult. We invest well when we invest in them. They are the surest guarantee that the economically and culturally confident Ireland we are now living through will deepen and develop, spreading its benefit widely.

Initiatives such as this are an important step along that path. I wish all of the participants every success with the course and in their future careers.