2773. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she expects the next implementation action plan for First Five to be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55375/26]

As part of the National Conversation on Education: the First 5 years and School-Age Childcare, the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality (DCDE) is undertaking a public consultation process on the future of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) including childminding.

This broad consultation process seeks views not only from early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders, but also from parents, providers, and community members.

Input gathered during the National Conversation will inform both Phase 2 of Shaping the Future: the Early Years Action Plan, and also the Phase 3 Implementation Plan for First 5, Ireland’s Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families as well as its successor strategy.

The consultation process has a number of channels designed to facilitate the participation of a wide range of stakeholders. So far these include:

• A national online survey on ELC and SAC, which has now closed and received over 11,000 responses. The large majority of responses were from parents.

• A survey of a nationally representative sample of parents that was conducted through a telephone poll of 600 parents with children under 15 years of age.

• Over 50 consultation events that took place took place between 20 and 30 April. These events were organised in collaboration with the City and County Childcare Committees with at least one in every county. An online consultation session also took place through the Irish language.

As well as analysing the consultation findings, DCDE is currently engaging with key action owners on the Implementation Plan for Phase 3 of First 5. It is expected that the Phase 3 Implementation Plan will be published in Q4 of this year.