Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if a child is who three and a half on 1 January 2010 will receive the full year of the new free preschool service; the position regarding a child who is four years and five months on 1 January 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20132/09]

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 ECCE is being introduced from January 2010 as a free scheme to benefit children in the key developmental period prior to commencing school. The scheme will allow eligible children, to avail of a free preschool place for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week over 38 weeks or 2 hours and 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week over 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.

Participating children must, normally be aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on the 1st September of each year. Children availing of the scheme from the 1st January 2010 must be aged between 3 years and 7 months and 4 years and 10 months on that date. Exceptions will be allowed where children have special needs or it is necessary to accept children at an older age due to the enrolment policy of the local primary school.

A child three and a half years on the 1st January 2010 will not be eligible to avail of the scheme on that date but would be eligible for a full year free preschool from September 2010. A child four years and five months on the 1st January 2010 will be eligible to avail of the reduced free preschool year up to June 2010, in the case of the 38 week model, and up to August 2010, in the case of the 50 week model.