Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the provision of preschool for children as announced in budget 2009; if her projections and targets will be achieved; the total financial provision announced; if there is a cut in this provision; and the total number of children for which that provision will cater for. [28761/09]

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 in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), which will be implemented from January 2010.

The scheme will be funded from resources re-directed from the Early Childcare Supplement (ECS) which is being abolished from the end of this year. The proposed funding allocation for the scheme in 2010 is in the region of €170 million and I am not aware of any proposal to reduce this provision.

As part of the preparations for introducing the new scheme, the Childcare Directorate of my Office recently wrote to almost 5,000 private and voluntary preschool service providers in the State, inviting them to participate. These included preschool service providers who are notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) or registered with the Irish Montessori Education Board (IMEB) and a number of other persons who have expressed an interest in establishing a preschool service and participating in the scheme. Application forms and other relevant information regarding the scheme were included in this correspondence and applicants are now returning forms to their local City or County Childcare Committees.

The closing date for response is 10 July 2009 and to date nearly 2,500 applications have been received from preschool services which will secure more than 43,000 preschool year places. It is estimated that up to 60,000 preschool year places could be required in January 2010 and I am confident that this will be achieved. It is expected that the application process will be completed by the end of September 2010 and following this a list of all participating services will be available to parents through the City and County Childcare Committees.