Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will grant the free year pre-school placement to a child (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30347/09]

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 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme which provides a free Pre-School year to eligible children and which will be introduced in January 2010. Children will qualify for the free pre-school year where they are age between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months in September each year. The application of this age range is being interpreted as generously as possible to include children who are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months at 1 September.

This will mean that, in January 2010, children born on or after 2 February 2005 or on or before 30 June 2006 will qualify. In September 2010, children born on or after 2 February 2006 or on or before 30 June 2007 will qualify, and so on in subsequent years. As eligibility is determined by reference to age, the child in question would not be eligible to participate in the scheme in January 2010 being aged 3 years and 1 month old on 1 September 2009, but would be eligible on 1 September 2010 when she will be aged 4 years and 1 month old. Exceptions to the upper age limit will be allowed where children are assessed by the HSE to have special needs or it is necessary to accept children at an older age due to the enrolment policy of the local primary school.