James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The early childhood care and education programme is a free and universal programme to which all children, including those children with special needs, have access. The objective of the programme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to all eligible children before they commence primary school.

The issue of access to the free preschool year for children with special needs was taken into account when the free preschool year was launched, and measures were introduced to make the programme more accessible for these children. These measures include an exemption from the upper age limit and permission to have the preschool year split over two years on a pro ratabasis, where it would be in the child's best interest.

Most children with special needs avail of the free preschool year in mainstream child care services. The Health Service Executive does, where possible, assist children with special needs who may require additional support to enable them to avail of preschool services in mainstream settings. However, as I have said before, I am aware that this support is not consistent nationally.

My Department meets regularly with the Department of Health to discuss issues of common concern, including supports for children with disabilities in mainstream preschools. In particular, the two Departments and the Department of Education and Skills have been working on how best to build better supports that facilitate children who have special needs. The aim is to develop an agreed framework for the provision of resources to support children with special needs in mainstream child care settings.

Early years settings should, of course, be supported to provide an inclusive environment, and I would like to be in a position to provide further supports. Some of the measures I have taken include the establishment of Better Start, a national approach to improving quality which provides advice and support to early years settings on quality improvement. I also introduced a learner fund to support staff in the sector to upskill. While modules on working with children with special needs, or on equality-diversity, are elective modules in early childhood care and education courses at levels 5 and 6 on the national framework of qualifications, I have encouraged the take-up of these modules by offering learner subsidies where a training provider runs these elective modules as part of the major award.

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