Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2019
494. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the preschool options available to a family with a child that will be two years and seven months in September 2019, missing the ECCE first year by one month and that cannot afford to pay privately for the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10409/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFrom September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. This measure refines developments introduced in 2016 and increases the duration of each registered child on ECCE from a previous average of 61 weeks, to a potential duration of 76 weeks (two programme years) delivering fully on a commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government that is good for children, families and Early Years providers.
This new measure addresses the previous situation with regard to multiple entry points whereby there was a broad fluctuation in the number of free preschool weeks a child could avail of (between 61 and 88 weeks depending on the date of birth of the child) and will ensure a programme that is equitable for all children. The situation where there was more than one entry point created a perception of inequality to some parents when they considered the variance in the number of weeks of ECCE provision, dependant on their entry point.
The minimum age was chosen based on national experience and a review of international practice. It also had regard to the regulatory environment for early learning and care in this country and issues such as child development readiness and adult-child ratios. The upper age limit for the ECCE programme remains the same (i.e. a child is not eligible if they will be 5 years and 6 months before the end of the programme year).
It must be noted that age limits have been used to determine eligibility since the inception of the ECCE programme in 2010.
Some children will not be able to commence their ECCE in September of the programme year as they will not have reached the age of 2 years and 8 months on or before 31st August. However, they will be able to commence ECCE the following September and continue for a further year from September of the next programme year. Parents of children born around this time of the year may prefer for their children to start school at age 4 rather than 5 years and may therefore choose to avail of one year of ECCE only. However, it is important to note that this is a parental choice and that the overall policy change has ensured that two programme years are available to all children.
My Department does its best to ensure, in so far as possible, the equitable treatment of all children and families who apply for childcare funding under the ECCE Programme. In order to ensure objectivity and fairness, it is essential that clear rules exist for the scheme and that they are applied evenly. An essential component of the ECCE programme rules is an eligibility start date to ensure that the programme can be administered and budgeted for in an appropriate manner.
There are no immediate plans to revise the ECCE rules beyond the changes which were introduced in September 2018.
