None of the speakers would claim to have all the answers, of course, but some really crucial questions were raised and discussed, and we heard about the progress of various projects aiming to improve training and quality.
You can read our reports on some of these issues in News (pages 4 and 5), but it's also worth thinking about the points made by NDNA chief executive Rosemary Murphy when summing up at the end of the day.
There is a lot happening, she pointed out, but it doesn't seem joined up.
There is general recognition that a childcare workforce based on the minimum wage worker is wrong, but the private sector can't pay staff more and bring in teachers when the Nursery Education Grant isn't ring-fenced and gets top-sliced, and the tax credit for parents doesn't match with paying better salaries.
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