asked the Minister for Education if he considers schooling prior to the age of six years can be detrimental; and if he will make a statement, particularly, on the benefits or otherwise of kindergartens and pre-schools for children under the age of four.

I am satisfied that suitable educational programmes for children under six years of age are beneficial. A high proportion of children in the age group four to six receive suitable full-time education in national schools.

It would not be feasible in the context of a reply to a parliamentary question to deal with the complex and varied considerations associated with the question of provision of suitable educational facilities for children under four years of age.

Do I take it that the Minister has no policy for the introduction of pre-school classes in the immediate future?

Deputy Mitchell's question asked me if I considered that schooling prior to the age of six years can be detrimental and if I would make a statement on the benefits or otherwise of kindergartens for children under the age of four. I have answered that question. It is a very complicated one. Our back-up committee carried out a very through study on this matter and got expert advice. In some countries there are schemes for pre-school education that are too heavily structured and could be harmful to children. On the other hand, schemes without proper structuring, too loose, could be harmful. There is a golden mean as far as that type of course is concerned.

I may not have made myself clear but I asked the Minister a relatively simple question. Has the Minister any intention of introducing a pre-school scheme in the future?

That has nothing to do with the question on the Order Paper.

I will put the question on the Order Paper because I would hate to complicate the position for the Minister.

Is the Minister aware that there are many unofficial or private pre-school groups in existence? Does his Department have a policy position for these or are the Department in the process of preparing it?

We have no policy with regard to private enterprise pre-schools.

Is the Minister preparing one?

Not at present.

Would the Minister consider requesting the research unit at St. Patrick's Training College to examine the issue raised in Deputy Mitchell's question? Has the Minister received any representations from bodies concerned with pre-schools to the effect that while the Department might not aid them, they at least operate some scheme of inspection so that parents would know whether they were getting good value or not?

The Deputy is aware that a pre-school centre was established and tested. He also knows the results of that research. It concerned an experimental group of children who showed superiority over the local control groups—I use the words "control groups" in the research context. They showed little superiority in other ways. The results of that research are available generally.

Would the Minister comment on the possibility of introducing an inspection scheme for existing private pre-school centres?

At present I have no plans for such an inspection. If the Deputy has good reason to think that this would be desirable I would be pleased to hear from him.

We are getting away from the question and on to a complete debate on education. I cannot permit that to go on.

Would the Minister agree that in view of the fact that there is no monitoring process for these pre-school groups educational harm could be done to the development of the child? I presume the Minister is concerned about this. If it is possible that harm can be done to a child is it not logical that the Minister should feel obliged to institute such proceedings fairly rapidly?

The Deputy is a professional educationalist and if he has information that such schools are, or a school is doing educational damage I should like to hear from him. It is only by having information that I can act.

We have had enough on this question.