David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reasons for the strict age range for eligibility under the early childhood care and education school free preschool year; if she has given any consideration to changing the age range to coincide with the legal starting age for children enrolling in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19825/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free preschool year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. In September 2010, the first full year of the programme, 63,000 children participated, amounting to 94% of all eligible children. Some 4,300 preschool services, or 95% of all services, are participating in the programme, thus ensuring it is available to children in all areas.

Children qualify for the free preschool year where they are aged more than three years and two months and less than four years and seven months at 1 September in the relevant year. This means that children born between 2 February 2007 and 30 June 2008 will qualify for the free preschool year in September 2011. Exceptions to the upper age limit are allowed in cases where a child is developmentally delayed or it is necessary due to the enrolment policies of local primary schools.

Exceptions to the lower age limit are not allowed under the ECCE programme. This is because the objective of the preschool year is to make early learning in a formal setting available to children in the year before they commence primary school. To achieve this, participating services are expected to provide age-appropriate activities to children. This requires targeting the preschool year at a particular age cohort limited by minimum and maximum age limits. It is considered that the eligibility range, which spans almost 17 months, is reasonable.

Subject to the local enrolment policies of primary schools, parents are entitled to enrol their children in primary school in the September in which they reach four years of age. In practice, the majority of parents choose to commence their children in primary school when they are aged between four years and six months and five years and six months. While targeting a specific age cohort, the ECCE programme has also tried to facilitate the preference of as many parents as possible. The fact that some children continue to be enrolled in primary school when they are not more than four years and two months and that this means they cannot avail of the preschool year was the subject of a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. The complaint was not upheld.

It is difficult to achieve a cut-off point in any scheme which accommodates the preferences of everyone. Inevitably, there are those who fall just outside any age range. Nevertheless, as a new, universally available and free programme intended to precede entry to primary education, the ECCE scheme provides a beneficial basis for all parents to plan their child's early education.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her reply. Would it not make sense to synchronise the starting ages for preschool and primary school? Under the preschool scheme, children born in July and August must wait until they are five years old to start school if they are to avail of the scheme. How many children are impacted by this anomaly?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I do not have those figures to hand. However, as I have said, the scheme has enjoyed a very high take-up rate, with 94% of all eligible children participating. The 17-month eligibility range was seen to provide a broad enough range to encompass the vast majority of children within the appropriate age cohort. It is legally permissible for children to commence primary school once they have reached four years of age, but it could be said there is a preference inherent in the scheme in that children born in July and August must wait until they reach five years of age to commence primary education. Cases have been brought to my attention where parents are eager to avail of the preschool year but also want their child to start school having just reached the age of four.

The decision was taken prior to my arrival on the basis that the 17-month range was preferable in terms of providing the type of preschool experience that would best benefit children. That criterion has been appealed to the Ombudsman, who found in favour of the Department and that the age range was acceptable. There will always be children who fall outside the cohort. From a policy point of view, this age range was seen as the most appropriate for preschool services.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Is it the Minister's view that children who have just reached four years of age are too young to start primary school? Is there an intention to change the legal age and, if so, is one of the reasons for the age restriction in the preschool scheme to encourage children to commence primary school at a later age?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The legal situation is that children may commence primary education at the age of four. Beyond that it is a question of parental choice. Ideally, I would like to see a situation in Ireland similar to that in other European countries where two years of preschool education are provided for young children. It is universally recognised that a two-year period of early education from three to five years of age is extremely beneficial. I agree with Deputy Finian McGrath that early intervention offers great scope to support and assist children and families.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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On the preschool year of early education for children, there was previously provision in the regulations for children with special needs to avail of a second year of preschool education. Has the Minister any plans to continue with that provision? I know it has been discontinued from September 2011 but will she overturn that decision and allow children with special needs to avail of a second year of early education?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As I said earlier, I would like to see a situation where children with special needs would have a second year. When the scheme was introduced originally, it began in January and those children who attended from January to June were then allowed to take a second year. There has been some misunderstanding but there was never actually a second year available, although clearly it would be of great benefit to many children if it were available. I said earlier that it is primarily a financial consideration at this stage. It would be about 10% of the cohort and would cost some €15 million plus administrative costs,.which is a considerable financial outlay. It would be extremely beneficial but I have no plans to do so at present. As a vision for the early school years, I would like to see it in place.