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

The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme provides one free preschool year to qualifying children before they commence primary school. The ECCE programme is a free and universal programme to which all children, including those children with special needs, have access.

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 a number of measures were introduced to make the programme more accessible for those children. The measures include an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification under the programme where a child is developmentally delayed and would benefit from starting primary school at a later age. In addition, children with special needs can apply to have the preschool year split over two years on a pro ratabasis - for example, by availing of the programme for two days a week in the first year and for three days a week in the second year - if that would be in the child's best interest.

The majority of children with special needs avail of the free preschool year in mainstream child care services. I am aware that the HSE, where possible, assists children with special needs who may require additional support to enable them to avail of preschool services in mainstream settings. I am also aware that the Deputy's native County Meath is particularly good in this regard.

My Department has been working with the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Skills to build better supports that will 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. I have established a high level interdepartmental group to examine the issue of future investment in early childhood care and education and child care for school-going children. As part of its work, the group will consider how best to make appropriate provision for children with special needs who are accessing mainstream child care services. I have asked the group to report to me by the summer. I will not pre-empt what the group might propose but clearly one of the issues I would like to see addressed is the lack of uniformity of approach in different parts of the country.

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