Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
1252. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason that children born after 31 December 2022 do not qualify for the first year of the early childhood care and education scheme; and his plans to amend the scheme to address this anomaly. [43565/22]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range.
Children born between the 1st of January 2023 and 31st of December 2023 are eligible for two years of ECCE. Specifically, the ECCE year starring 1 September 2026 and the ECCE year starting 1st September 2027.
We are not aware of any anomaly that would prevent a child being eligible for two years of ECCE.
