Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans for the implementation of the early child care supplement from January 2010; if she has plans to extend the age limits of the scheme to facilitate children who may be disadvantaged by having to progress to primary school earlier up to at least five years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16814/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Preschool year of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister of Finance. The scheme will allow children to avail of a free playschool place in their preschool year, which will be provided for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week for 38 weeks. It will also allow children in their preschool year who are attending a full or part-time day care service to avail of a free session of 2 hours and 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week for 50 weeks. As the new scheme will be introduced from January next, the first full year will be from September 2010 and children availing of the scheme in January 2010 will have a reduced period of free preschool provision.

The scheme will be open to almost 5,000 preschool services and officials in my Office will be writing to these by the end of May 2009 to provide further details and to advise them of the application process. Preschool leaders will be expected to have a qualification in child care to FETAC level 5 or 6 qualifications, or equivalent, or to be in the process of completing their qualification. All services will be required to provide an educational programme consistent with the principles of Síolta and appropriate to the age of participating children. A national team of Síolta co-ordinators will assist services in meeting these standards.

Participating children must, normally be aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on the 1 September of each year. The 15 month age range is provided to facilitate parents in aligning their children's preschool year with the year they commence school. The majority of children start school at the age of 5 years. Exceptions will be allowed where children have a developmental delay or it is necessary to accept them at an older age due to the enrolment policy of the local primary school. Participating services will receive capitation of €64.50 per week where children attend for 38 weeks, and €48.50 where they attend for 50 weeks of the year. Services will receive payments at the start of each term. Where the child is attending full-day or part-time child care, the service will be required to reduce the child care fees by the amount of the capitation.