Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the level of consultation between his Department and the Department of Education and Skills, and-or the Department of Health, on necessary supports for children with a disability who are in mainstream early childhood services; and if he will provide an update on plans to publish a national strategy to support these children. [8005/15]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I want to ask the Minister what level of consultation his Department has had with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Health on necessary supports for children with a disability who are entering mainstream early childhood services. Will he provide an update on the plans to publish a national strategy to support these children so we can ensure we are dealing with this on a consistent basis from Mizen Head to Malin Head?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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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.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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While we might think we have a universal programme, that is not true because the necessary supports are not in place to ensure the implementation of universality. Under the legislation as it currently stands, a service provider can refuse admission to a young boy or girl with special educational needs based on the fact that it does not have the necessary supports to take him or her into the service. Under the legislation, there is no entitlement beyond an assessment. Those aged under five years are entitled to an assessment, but are not entitled to the necessary supports.

There is no national strategy. I am disappointed to hear the Minister say in his reply that he aims to develop a framework. We need a framework in place now. The disjointed approach across the regions is abysmal. I note Deputy McEntee is in the Chamber. Later today we will meet the Meath fight for the future campaign in the audiovisual room. The HSE used to provide money and funding to preschool services so they could hire special needs assistants for those who needed them, but that now happens at the discretion of the HSE. While Meath may continue to provide the funding into the future, that is not necessarily the case throughout the country.

The Minister acknowledges that the approach is disjointed and that there is an inconsistency. Can he give a firm commitment on when he will take responsibility for the provision of special needs assistants? Can he outline when there will be a national strategy and inclusion plan to ensure that all children, regardless of their needs, will be able to avail of early childhood care and education?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I have information that I am given to understand indicates that the HSE is not withdrawing any funding in this area. Maybe further funding is required, and that might be an issue. As we know, an extra €650 million has been made available to the Department of Health to disperse. We would not expect to see any further cuts in this area.

The Deputy asked when we will have the full strategy. As I said, we have established the high level interdepartmental group to examine the issue of future investment in child care and childhood education. 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. As I have pointed out, I have asked for this report to be with me by the summer. We meet with the Department of Health regularly on this issue and others relating to children, and will continue to do so. As I have said and fully acknowledged, there is no uniform approach across the country on this and I am sure it will be one of the major issues on which the interdepartmental group will report.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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We are all aware that the earlier the intervention, the greater the return. It is critically important that we put together a policy, national strategy and inclusion plan now. It is disappointing that four years on this issue is being referred to an interdepartmental group because it is extremely important. We are all aware of the inconsistent approach over the years.

Are we even aware of the numbers of children under five years of age who require additional resources because of their special educational needs? I would hazard a guess that we are not, because last year the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, said in a reply that only 260 children were availing of the split free preschool year. In a Pobal survey in 2013, it was suggested that 3,899 children had varying levels of disabilities. Do we know exactly how many children are being prevented from availing of the free preschool year because the necessary supports are not in place?

The funding comes from myriad areas, including the HSE which provides 33.3% and Enable Ireland which provides 25.7%. Institutions like the Brothers of Charity or the Western Care Association in Mayo provide other resources.

It is disjointed and unco-ordinated, which is unbelievable. We are not giving this issue the priority or focus which these children deserve because they are born with a special educational need.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I utterly reject the contention that we are not giving this the focus it deserves. This is the first Government to have a senior Cabinet Minister responsible for and focused on the needs of children. That is something which successive Governments did not do beforehand. As I pointed out already, we know some children go straight into junior infants rather than participating in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. There are approximately 1,700 children who participate in the Department of Education and Skill's Early Start in disadvantaged schools, and some children with autism spectrum disorders participate in special autism preschool classes. Some children with very complex disabilities attend special preschools and each year approximately 900 children are home schooled, and it is likely those children do not participate in preschool either. The number varies each year. Some children in full day care are recorded as being in the children's community subvention programme, so they do not appear in the ECCE figures. Work is ongoing to get the detailed information on these groups, mainly from the Department of Education and Skills.