Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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24. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if clarity will be provided on the overage exemption for the ECCE programme; and the reason there is such a high level of refusals for this exemption which causes a lot of anxiety for families. [22704/20]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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This question relates to the overage exemption for the ECCE programme and asks the Minister to give some explanation for the high level of refusals for this exemption, which causes a great deal of stress and anxiety for families looking to take it up.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I greatly appreciate the anxiety of parents who seek an overage exemption from the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme for their child.

Overage exemptions for ECCE are provided by my Department and are governed by three guiding principles: first, a specialist has recommended the additional time in ECCE; second, the child will not reach six years of age before beginning primary education, in line with the Education (Welfare) Act 2000; and, third, if a child has already availed of the full two years of ECCE, he or she will not be eligible for a further year.

Where an application does not fulfil these criteria, the application will be declined.

The primary reason for refusal of an overage exemption this year was that the child would be older than six when starting school if the exemption had been provided.

The National Disability Authority conducted a review of the way in which my Department and the Department of Education and Skills were applying the overage exemption in 2018. The authority’s report concluded that the approach being taken by my Department was in the best interests of the child.

The National Disability Authority found that children with disabilities were better served by starting school with their peers and progressing to secondary school with their peers.

It is important to note that the overage exemption for the ECCE programme was never intended as a mechanism to delay a child’s entry to primary school or to address issues to do with the availability of school places.

The overage exemption was developed when ECCE was a one-year-only programme and where the significant resources that come with the access and inclusion model, AIM, did not exist. All children now have the option of two full years of ECCE with a wide variety of AIM supports that are available.

I would encourage parents of children attending ECCE to discuss any concerns they might have as early as possible with the provider and with the AIM Better Start team. Details about the access and inclusion model can be found on the aim.gov.iewebsite if parents want more information.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. Is it the case then that once the two years is completed, regardless of the other circumstances, that child will not be eligible for the overage exemption? I could be wrong but until now, that was not my understanding of it. I thought it was supposed to be available mainly for children who might have additional needs or who might be struggling. As we all know, the waiting times now for assessments and various therapies have become ridiculous. In many cases, the services and a specialist are saying that the child could benefit from the overage exemption but they are still not getting it. One of the criteria mentioned was if they have done the full two years. If they have done the two years, why is that in place at all if they are not going to be eligible for it? I am dealing with a particular case in Carlow where this overage exemption is really needed but those concerned have met with a brick wall on it. I appreciate what the Minister said about moving on, the access and inclusion model, AIM, and so on but in certain situations it is both the provider and the parents, and perhaps a specialist, who are saying this would really benefit the child yet there does not seem to be any give on that. I am sorry. I did not realise the time. I will come back in on that.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. On the origin of the exemption, when the ECCE programme was just a one-year programme there were certain children who, because of their particular needs, would not have been able to avail of the full five days so they ended up taking three. We allowed them to take it then over two years. I believe that is the origin of the two-year rule in that particular situation but I will double-check that and revert to the Deputy on that specific point.

It is worth noting, from my Department looking into this to address the Deputy's question, that the main reason for the refusals this year is that the children would end up attending school over the age of six. That is the key reason, and that is set out in the Education (Welfare) Act.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I raised this question because a huge number of people contacted us in recent weeks about it. I have often dealt with queries about the overage exemption and I have to say that, to date, I do not know one person who has got it. I might have been unlucky with the cases I have been dealing with, in that people have not got it. It seems to be the case that if it is available parents feel they might be able to qualify for it but when we look at the criteria it appears that, technically, nobody will qualify under that. I appreciate the Minister will check it but could it be reviewed, even in the context of this year?

Although the school year and the ECCE scheme have started, could the criteria be reviewed given that so many children did not have the two or three months of preschool because everything closed down on 12 March or 13 March? Maybe they were going to benefit from an additional year anyway but, given the situation we are in now, could the scheme be reviewed? If possible, I would like to send the Minister the details of the case in question.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Deputy is always welcome to send on representations. I will try to process them as quickly as possible. I know from examining representations I have received from various Deputies that we give a significant number of exemptions. Even in the short time I have been in my role, I have given a significant number of them. I am sorry if the Deputy's name has not been on those representations.

We are about to undertake a fairly significant review of AIM in general and its application because it is a new programme. The objective is to make sure it is working well. I would be happy, as part of the review, to examine the overage exemption and how it is applied. The review of the application of the exemption will be a higher level review. That is probably the best context in which to undertake a review.