Education for sustainable development (ESD) prepares learners forglobal citizenship. It is considered the great hope through whichAnthropogenic destruction can be halted and a sustainable futurecreated. In Ireland, relevant State departments suggest Aistear,The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, supports ESD in EarlyChildhood Education and Care (ECEC) practice. However, there isan absence of research concerning how or if Irish educators arefacilitating ESD in ECEC. Bringing a children’s rights lens andsystems-perspective, this article reports on a quantitative studyframed within the Irish policy context. It offers first insight intoeducators’ practices and engagement with ESD in ECEC. Findingsreveal educators feel inadequately prepared to facilitate ESD; theyare either unsure or do not believe Aistear contains ESD contentor facilitates their practice in this area. When viewed through asystematic lens missed opportunities to realise the goal of ESD inIrish ECEC are evident. It is highly probable large discrepanciesexist in ESD implementation. This article joins other voices callingfor the current updating of Aistear to ensure the presence of ESD.The implementation of the revised framework must includerobust training, as, at present educators lack a foundation onwhich to base their ESD practice