Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has announced the expansion of the Early Talk Boost programme, which addresses language delays among young children, with the recruitment of up to 50 additional tutors. The programme is already operational in 108 early learning and care settings across 18 counties and is set to reach more settings from September.
Children participating in Early Talk Boost attend three sessions per week over an eight-week period in small groups of up to eight, with each session lasting 15–20 minutes during circle or story time within their own early learning environment. The programme emphasizes parental involvement, providing families with storybooks to reinforce language skills at home and hosting workshops led by early years educators to guide parents in supporting their child’s learning.
Minister Foley highlighted the programme’s importance in improving language skills for children at risk of disadvantage and praised the positive engagement of parents in reading and interactive activities at home. Early Talk Boost forms a central part of the Equal Start initiative, which aims to provide universal and targeted support to enhance access and participation in early learning and school-age childcare for children facing disadvantage.
Early years educators in priority settings are trained by Better Start Specialist tutors, Early Years Mentors from the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, and HSE tutors, supported by a HSE super tutor. To date, the programme has been implemented in counties including Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow, with upcoming training scheduled for Kerry and Kildare.
Yvonne Galvin of Our Lady of Lourdes Childworld Creche in Limerick praised Early Talk Boost for empowering both educators and parents, noting that the programme has boosted children’s confidence, expanded their vocabulary, and enhanced engagement in play and conversation. She emphasized the value of consistent strategies used both at home and in the early learning setting.
The initial rollout of Early Talk Boost prioritizes early learning and care settings in areas of concentrated disadvantage, ensuring that children most in need receive targeted support at a critical stage in their language development.
