John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

This is, of course, a reasonable question. Noting that the scheme will be open to children aged between three years and three months and four years and six months, the Deputy assumed that all children in this category - 81,000 - would require places each year. It is difficult to understand how a pattern of full participation by children in the 15-month age range could arise year after year. In any event, based on CSO data, the potential number of children within a one-year age range will be between 61,000 and 64,000, which is significantly different from the number Deputy Enright claims will arise.

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