Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the circumstances under which a child who is four days under the qualifying age for the new pre-school places can avail of the service; if an appeal mechanism is in place; if so, the details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21671/09]

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 Pre-School 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 pre-school place in the year before the commence school. This will, normally, consist of 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.

Participating children must, normally be aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on 1 September of each year. In January 2010, children will be eligible if they are aged between 3 years 7 months and 4 years 10 months. A child who is aged 3 years 6 months on 1 January, 2010 will not be eligible to participate in the scheme at that point but will be eligible in September 2010. As eligibility is determined by reference to age, there is no appeal mechanism other than in relation to the exceptions I have referred to in the case of the upper age limit.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if a child attends a pre-school after 1 January 2010 under the new pre-school scheme for less than five days, will they be eligible for a pro rata payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21677/09]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reasoning behind the introduction of the age cut off of four years and 10 months in relation to the pre-school scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21678/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 128 together.

As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Pre-School year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), which will commence in January 2010.

The Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is being introduced to benefit children in the key developmental period prior to commencing school. The scheme will allow eligible children to avail of a free pre-school place which will, generally, consist of 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. Participating services will receive a capitation payment of €64.50 a week where children attend for 38 weeks, and €48.50 where they attend for 50 weeks of the year. As the new scheme will be introduced from January next, the first full year will be from September 2010.

While parents will be encouraged to avail of the free pre-school year on the basis that their child attends for 5 days a week, transitional arrangements will apply during January to August 2010 to take account of the fact that some pre-school services currently accommodate a greater number of children than they have daily places for. To facilitate these services and the children attending them, they may continue to accommodate children on a pro rata basis during the period January to August 2010 and will receive a capitation grant set by reference to the number of children attending each day rather than the total number of children in a week.

Participating children must normally be aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on 1 September of each year. Exceptions to the upper age limit will be allowed where children have been assessed as having special needs which require them to start primary school at a later date than is normally the case or where this is necessary due to the admissions policy of the child's local primary school. As the scheme is being introduced in January 2010, the upper age limit for eligibility at that date will be 4 years 10 months.

As a pre-school year in early childhood care and education (ECCE), intended to support the developmental needs of children in the year before they commence primary school, it is important that the programme based activities provided to children are suitable for this target age cohort and do not try to accommodate a broader spread of developmental stages. Most children commence school at around 5 years of age. It is considered that the 15 month age range provided for under the scheme, recognises this position while allowing flexibility to parents to assess the best time for their child to commence school.