Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 517: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if it is proposed to expand the early start programme in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8974/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A total of 640 primary schools — 320 urban-town and 320 rural — and 200 second level schools have been selected to participate in the school support programme under the new action plan for educational inclusion entitled DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, and letters of invitation issued to these schools on 24 February 2006.

Early childhood education provision is a key element of DEIS and the objective of which is to concentrate actions on those children aged from three up to school enrolment, who will subsequently attend the 180 urban-town primary schools serving the most disadvantaged communities on a phased basis over the next five years. Expansion of early childhood education provision will be considered to other SSP urban-town schools when this objective has been achieved.

In December 2005, the office of the Minister for Children was established to maximise the co-ordination of policies for children and young persons and will have a range of functions previously under the Departments of Health and Children; Justice Equality and Law Reform; and Education and Science. A new early years education policy unit has been established in my Department and it will be co-located in the Office of the Minister for Children. Decisions of a policy nature relating to early childhood education, including the new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, will now be pursued as part of the overall strategic policy framework developed by the Office of the Minister for Children.