Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was shocked to receive several phone calls to my office in Carlow this week regarding the Department of Children and Youth Affairs removing the upper age exemption for an extra preschool year for children who may not be ready to start school. This was done without consulting practitioners in the sector. I am told that the announcement came from out of the blue.

I call on the Minister, Deputy Zappone, and her Department to explain why this happened. Why is the age exemption being removed from children in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme from September 2018 and why was it announced by Pobal to early years providers without any warning on 24 November? Practitioners and parents are concerned, as am I. There are many children for whom this is a vital exemption. Some need an extra year before they start school and can still meet the age criteria, but now they will not be allowed to do that because they will have done their two free years.

Why is the Minister telling parents that it is up to them to finance this when many do not send their children every day during the free scheme years and could have built up enough days that the Department should pay for this? Some parents do not feel that their three year olds are ready for a five-morning week. Some five year olds still need extra time to avoid having to request staying back later on. Why can they not be accommodated?

Children transitioning to national school need to be independent and confident, have good social and emotional skills and be able to communicate, all of which meet the Department's criteria under the Aistear curriculum framework.With this exemption removed some children will not be able to adhere to those criteria. The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-20, Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, sets out the vision for Ireland to be one of the best small countries in the world in which to grow up and raise a family, where the rights of all children and young people are respected, protected and fulfilled, where their voices are heard and where they are supported to realise their maximum potential now and in the future. This announcement does not contribute to this and it will not serve well the children who require extra supports in early years education.