The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a free pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. From September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months will be eligible for a full two programme years. It provides children with a formal early learning experience prior to commencing primary school. The programme is provided three hours per day, five days per week, 38 weeks per year over two programme years.
ECCE contracted services and unique children registered by county (2018/2019) as at 29/03/2019
County Division
|
Number of services in contract
|
Number of unique children registered
|
Carlow
|
50
|
1,311
|
Cavan
|
63
|
1,928
|
Clare
|
130
|
2,515
|
Cork City
|
78
|
2,470
|
Cork County
|
361
|
10,730
|
Donegal
|
135
|
3,293
|
Dublin - Dublin City
|
387
|
9,068
|
Dublin - Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
|
180
|
4,491
|
Dublin - Fingal
|
308
|
7,839
|
Dublin - South Dublin
|
232
|
6,314
|
Galway
|
254
|
5,970
|
Kerry
|
124
|
2,956
|
Kildare
|
195
|
5,920
|
Kilkenny
|
94
|
2,151
|
Laois
|
77
|
2,205
|
Leitrim
|
31
|
708
|
Limerick
|
173
|
4,378
|
Longford
|
33
|
835
|
Louth
|
116
|
2,945
|
Mayo
|
124
|
2,816
|
Meath
|
193
|
5,406
|
Monaghan
|
60
|
1,287
|
Offaly
|
68
|
1,843
|
Roscommon
|
54
|
1,387
|
Sligo
|
65
|
1,341
|
Tipperary
|
160
|
3,543
|
Waterford
|
89
|
2,527
|
Westmeath
|
80
|
2,305
|
Wexford
|
135
|
3,603
|
Wicklow
|
160
|
3,522
|
Total
|
4,209
|
107,607
|