Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will support all measures dealing with quality preschool projects for children up to four years of age; and if she will report on existing efforts in Navan, County Meath. [37967/05]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 464: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will support all measures dealing with quality preschool projects for children up to four years of age; and if she will report on existing efforts in Kells, County Meath. [37968/05]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 465: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will support all measures dealing with quality preschool projects for children up to four years of age; and if she will report on existing efforts in Trim, County Meath. [37969/05]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will support all measures dealing with quality preschool projects for children up to four years of age; and if she will report on existing efforts in Oldcastle, County Meath. [37970/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 to 466, inclusive, together.

My Department's main role in the area of early childhood education focuses on preschool provision for children from disadvantaged areas, for Traveller children and for those with special needs. Research has indicated that high quality early education, prior to entry into formal schooling, leads to lasting benefits that persist throughout life and that early childhood education is particularly beneficial for children who are disadvantaged and for children with special needs.

My Department currently funds 46 preschool classes for Traveller children. In addition, a total of 1,680 places are provided for in early start preschool centres at an annual cost of some €5 million. In the special needs sector there are currently 14 preschool classes for children with autism located throughout the country. In addition to this ten stand-alone autism facilities that provide an applied behavioural analysis, ABA, model of response to children with autism cater for a number of children of preschool age. My Department has also sanctioned the establishment of a preschool for six children with hearing impairment on a pilot basis.

The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, which I launched in May this year, aims to concentrate early childhood education actions on those children, aged from three up to school enrolment, who will subsequently attend the 150 urban-town primary schools, participating in the new school support programme, and identified as serving the most disadvantaged communities. The early childhood education actions under the new plan will be well targeted and my Department will work in partnership with other Departments and agencies with a view to meeting the overall care and education needs of the children involved in an integrated way. A strong emphasis will be placed on adding value to the work of other providers by embedding quality early learning within child care provision.

The bulk of preschool places are financed by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which has provided unprecedented levels of funding for child care in recent years under the equal opportunities child care programme, EOCP, 2000-06. Funding of over €15 million has been approved for County Meath to date under this programme. These grants, when fully expended, will lead to the creation of almost 1,700 new child care places and are supporting a further 650 existing child care places in County Meath.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 467: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will support all measures dealing with quality preschool projects for children up to four years of age; and if she will report on existing efforts in Castlepollard, County Westmeath. [37975/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's main role in the area of early childhood education focuses on preschool provision for children from disadvantaged areas, for Traveller children and for those with special needs. Research has indicated that high quality early education prior to entry into formal schooling, leads to lasting benefits that persist throughout life and that early childhood education is particularly beneficial for children who are disadvantaged and for children with special needs.

My Department currently funds 46 preschool classes for Traveller children. In addition, a total of 1,680 places are provided for in early start preschool centres at an annual cost of some €5 million. In the special needs sector there are currently 14 preschool classes for children with autism located throughout the country. In addition to this, ten stand alone autism facilities that provide an applied behavioural analysis, ABA, model of response to children with autism cater for a number of children of preschool age. My Department has also sanctioned the establishment of a preschool for six children with hearing impairment on a pilot basis.

The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, which I launched in May this year, aims to concentrate early childhood education actions on those children, aged from three up to school enrolment, who will subsequently attend the 150 urban-town primary schools, participating in the new school support programme, and identified as serving the most disadvantaged communities. The early childhood education actions under the new plan will be well targeted and my Department will work in partnership with other Departments and agencies with a view to meeting the overall care and education needs of the children involved in an integrated way. A strong emphasis will be placed on adding value to the work of other providers by embedding quality early learning within child care provision.

The bulk of preschool places in the country are financed by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which has provided unprecedented levels of funding for child care in recent years under the equal opportunities child care programme, EOCP, 2000-06. Funding of over €13.8 million has been committed to County Westmeath to date under this programme. This funding will create over 1,200 new child care places while supporting a further 1,400 existing child care places.