11. Question No. 11—EducationNICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of EducationQuestion No. 11—Education11. NICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of Education: Does she agree with the Prime Minister's statement in May last year that In early childhood education the average wait for help from the early intervention service is about 74 days. And in the life of a little three- or four-year-old child who's hungry to learn that's 74 days too long. Today's announcement will halve the current waiting list for services as well as help meet future demand"; and if so what is the average wait [time] for help from the early intervention service today?SPEAKER: I think there's an extra word but we'll go for it anyway.Hon TRACEY MARTIN (Associate Minister of Education): Yes. I also agree with the Prime Minister's press release—also in May last year—that outlined that this was a four year budget and a reduction target. This acknowledged that it takes longer than a year to rebuild a workforce neglected for nine years. Currently the average waiting times to receive support from early intervention services is 106 days.Nicola Willis: Is the Minister confirming that despite the Prime Minister's promise waiting times for early intervention have increased under this Government.Hon TRACEY MARTIN: I am confirming that after nine years of neglect with no workforce planning this Government invested $21.5 million in April last year. Since then 120 extra specialists have been employed in specialist services. Over the four-year period of that budget with the roll-out of the learning support delivery model with the roll-out of learning support coordinators in 2020 to improve a system that was broken under the previous lot yes; that is true.Nicola Willis: Does the Minister stand by her reported statements that "Most teachers and most parents will have not noticed a single bit of difference" and "It just hasn't worked"; and if so will she take responsibility for this failure to deliver for children in need?Hon TRACEY MARTIN: I stand by all the statements I make but the reason why it hasn't worked is the other part of the statement I made on the radio which was I believe a 21 percent increase in behavioural needs a 15 percent increase in oral language needs and a 15 percent increase in other needs. So unfortunately quite rightly $21.5 million—10 times what was previously invested over a nine-year period by the last organisation—when we started so far behind the eight ball has not been enough; hence why this Government is rolling out the learning support delivery model across the whole of New Zealand by the end of this year. We'll have the first tranche of 600 learning support coordinators on the ground and the pilots tell us that when the early childhood education providers are a part of the learning support coordinator and the learning support delivery model wait times drop. It takes a while to repair nine years' worth of damage.Nicola Willis: By what date will the Government deliver on the Prime Minister's promise to halve waiting lists for early intervention?Hon TRACEY MARTIN: Recognising that that was a statement made about a four-year budget and so therefore a four-year target recognising that there had been no workforce planning that it takes five to seven years to train an oral language specialist and recognising that this Government put in 10 times in one year what that Government only invested in nine years it will take time."