Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the action she will take to deal with a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31545/09]

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 scheme which provides a free Pre-School year to eligible children and which will be introduced in January 2010.

As part of the preparations for introducing the new scheme, the Childcare Directorate of my Office wrote to almost 5,000 private and voluntary pre-school service providers in the State, inviting them to participate and outlining the requirements governing the scheme. The application process is expected to be completed next month following which a list of local services contracted to participate in the scheme, will be available to parents from each City and County Childcare Committee. In practice, many parents will already have children attending pre-school services which have applied to participate in the scheme and expect to do so, from January 2010. As indicated above, applicants were made aware of the requirements governing the scheme in June of this year.

A key requirement of the scheme is that pre-school leaders must hold a certification for a major award in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ) or an equivalent recognised qualification in the childcare/early education field. In the first two full years of the scheme, the qualification requirement will be met where a person holds an award in ECCE 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 range.

As a scheme to provide appropriate programme based educational activities for children in their pre-school year, qualifications in other fields, such as Business Studies, cannot be taken into account. Services which are unable to demonstrate that they have pre-school year leaders who hold the minimum required level of qualification will not be able to participate in the scheme. Services can re-apply for entry to the scheme in September 2010.

The annual capitation fee of over €2,400 amounts, in the case of a sessional playschool, to €64.50 pew week over 38 weeks. For full- and part-time services providing a pre-school year of 2 hours 15 minutes per day, 5 days a week for 50 weeks, the annual capitation fee amounts to €48.50 per week. The capitation fee and its application on a weekly basis are considered reasonable.