Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide for flexibility on the age limit for the new pre-school support scheme when a child has had only limited access to pre-school and there are reasons for the child not progressing directly to primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23927/09]

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 in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), which will come into effect in January next.

The scheme will allow qualifying children to avail of a free pre-school place in the year before they commence primary school. The scheme is open to all private and voluntary pre-school services which are notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) or registered with the Irish Montessori Educational Board (IMEB). Sessional playschools will, normally, participate in the scheme by providing the pre-school year for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week over 38 weeks while full or part-time daycare services will, normally, participate by providing the pre-school year for 2 hours, 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week over 50 weeks.

Participating children must normally be aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on 1st September of each year. Exceptions will be allowed where children have been assessed by the HSE as having special needs which will delay their entry to school or it is appropriate to accept children at an older age due to the enrolment policy of the local primary school.