Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the Early Start programme will be extended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12952/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Early Start pre-school project was established in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk during 1994 and 1995. The aims of Early Start are to expose young children to an educational programme which would enhance their overall development, prevent school failure and offset the effects of social disadvantage.

Early Start is a one year, pre-school intervention aimed at children from selected designated areas of disadvantage. Children must be between the ages of three and four years on 1 September of the year they are enrolled. The Early Start project is designed to cater for the needs of children, including those with disabilities, who are most at risk of not reaching their potential in the education system and the school must give priority to the children who are most at risk.

With regard to any expansion in early childhood education provision, including for children from disadvantaged areas, I am concerned to ensure that any future actions by my Department in this area are based on a collaborative approach with other Departments involved in the overall early childhood care and education, ECCE, sector. Meeting the overall objective of providing the best possible service to the communites and children involved requires that any educational provision by my Department takes account of child care measures under the remit of other Departments.