Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 November 2012
231. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if an application under the early childhood care and education scheme in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 15 will be expedited; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53488/12]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free preschool year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. Approximately 66,000 children are availing of the ECCE programme in the current school year and €175.8 million has been provided in 2012 to cover the cost of the programme.
The objective of the ECCE programme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. To achieve this, services participating in the preschool year are expected to provide age-appropriate activities and programmes to children within a particular age cohort and therefore minimum and maximum limits to the age range within which children will qualify for the free preschool provision have been set. Children qualify for the free preschool year where they are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months at 1 September in the relevant year. Children born between 2 February 2008 and 30 June 2009 qualified for the free preschool year in September 2012 and children born between 2 February 2009 and 30 June 2010 will qualify for the programme in September 2013. There are no exceptions for children who are below the qualifying age. The child referred to by the Deputy is outside the age range for eligibility for the programme in the school year commencing in September 2012 but will be eligible for the programme in the school year commencing in September 2013.
