Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2021
492. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will review the refusal of ECCE for a child (details supplied) considering the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48224/21]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The programme runs from September to June each year, aligned with the primary school calendar.
A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE programme year.
Children born in 2016 were eligible for ECCE from September 2019 and again from September 2020.
It is not possible to offer an additional year of ECCE as these children are of primary school age.
While the ECCE is a two year programme available to all children, it is not mandatory and some parents chose to avail of one year only or not at all.
