Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is an important area. I will come back to Deputy Troy with those figures. Part and parcel of moving to improve preschool services is to have a focus on early years. I have begun this by setting up the task force on early years and commissioning the report Right from the Start, which examines some of these issues and makes recommendations.

I agree with Deputy Troy that this area requires a special focus. It is a high priority for me to examine precisely the situation of children with special needs in their early years because I am absolutely of the opinion that early intervention for these children is critical. The best use of the free preschool year is part and parcel of this. There has not been such a focus on this area of the preschool year in the past. I am keen to ensure that children with special needs have the best possible access. This will require interdepartmental work involving my Department, the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Skills, and budget lines will have to be identified. I will come back to Deputy Troy with the figures as soon as they are available.

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