Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 125 of 19 April 2009, if she will clarify a situation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30121/09]

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. It is a requirement of the ECCE scheme that pre-school leaders in services participating in the scheme hold a qualification in childcare which is equivalent to FETAC Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ). However, in the first two full years of the scheme, the requirement will be met where a person holds a childcare qualification that includes the four core modules of Early Education, Child Development, Caring for Children and Work Experience and has at least 2 years experience of working in a position of responsibility with children in the 0 -6 age range.

Quite a number of workers in the ECCE sector lack formal qualifications but have many years of experience. The challenge now is to recognise the non-formal learning of workers in this position and to ensure that there are flexible ways for people to obtain qualifications and to build on these qualifications. Ireland has been participating in an OECD study on the recognition of non-formal and informal learning. A national report was drafted in 2006/2007 by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland with the assistance of an Advisory Group and, in particular, with HETAC and FETAC. The aim of the report was to document and review the current situation in Ireland regarding the recognition of prior non-formal and informal learning. The OECD's review team report was published in December 2008 and a national action plan for the Recognition of Prior Learning is now being developed.

Service providers with pre-school year leaders who do not hold the required qualification in all four modules in time to enter the scheme in respect of January/August 2010, will have a further opportunity to enter the scheme in respect of the pre-school year commencing in September 2010.