Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2017
647. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her long-term plans with regard to the ECCE scheme; if a decision on the over age exemption from the early childhood care and education scheme will be reversed and not just paused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53625/17]
View answer661. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the opening date of the consultation on the over age exemption in the ECCE programme; the closing date; and the date by which her Department will make a decision on the future of the over age exemption. [54075/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 661 together.
I have committed to consulting further with parents of children with disabilities before a decision is made on the future of the over-age exemption for the ECCE scheme.
My officials are working closely with the Department of Education and Skills in designing the consultation and also taking advice from the Cross Sectoral Implementation Group (CSIG) of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). CSIG includes senior officials from the Department of Education and Skills, National Council for Special Education, National Disability Authority, City/Community Childcare Committees, Pobal and representatives of parents of children with disabilities and Early Years providers.
I will publish details of the consultation when available and am committed to having it completed by mid 2018.
The decision on a pause in the change to the scheme as against a reversal will be made in the context of the outcome of the consultation exercise. In this regard however I feel it is worthwhile to set out the original rationale for the decision. Overage exemptions were introduced at the onset of the ECCE programme. At that time only operated for a 38 week period, or one programme year. For some children with special/additional needs, attending preschool five days a week was not feasible and so therefore an allowance was made. Their ECCE place was split over 2 years, e.g. a child may have availed of 3 days ECCE provision in year one and 2 days in year 2. In order to facilitate this, in the cases where the child would have been overage for ECCE in the latter year, an overage exemption was approved. This provision of an overage exemption by the DCYA for the ECCE programme was never intended as a mechanism to delay a child’s entry to primary education. Given the extension of the ECCE programme in 2016/2017, the further extension of the Programme to two full years from September 2018, and the introduction of AIM in June 2016, it became clear that standard ECCE entitlement had surpassed the initial premise for provision of an overage exemption from the upper age limit.
AIM is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The AIM Early Years Specialists will work with the parents (and guardians), providers, Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) and others (as appropriate) to support the child’s transition to primary school. Any concerns with regard to a child's transition to primary school should be referred to the Better Start Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) application process. Parents, guardians and providers are advised to engage with the AIM process where a concern in relations to a child's transition to primary school is identified. More detailed information on AIM can be found at www.preschoolaccess.ie. The Department of Education and Skill (DES) also provides for the education of children with special educational needs through a number of support mechanisms, depending on the child's assessed disability.
As regards long term plans for the ECCE scheme, the further enhancements announced as part of Budget 2018 meet the commitment in the Programme for Government to provide a full two year programme to all children. Any further alterations to the scheme will be considered in the context of future Estimates processes and, critically, an assessment of what is in the best interests of children. The consultation to take place around overage exemptions will, of course, form part of the ongoing assessment.
