John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will relax the eligibility rules governing the free pre-school year in early childhood care and education to accommodate parents of those children born in July and August 2006, who have been offered and accepted primary school places for September 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36738/09]

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 aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months at the start of each academic year. The application of the 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 each year. This will mean that, in January 2010, children born on or after 2 February 2005 or on or before 30 June 2006 will qualify. Children born between 2 February 2006 and 30 June 2007 will qualify for the free pre-school year in September 2010. However, children who qualify for the pre-school year in September 2010 will not benefit from it if their parents choose to send them to primary school instead.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason children attending a Montessori school (details supplied) have not been paid their due grant and fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36933/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) as well as the new free Pre-School year of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, which is being introduced from January next.

The NCIP provides capital grant funding for the development and refurbishment of child care services as well as support funding for community based child care services, under the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS), to enable them to charge reduced child care fees to disadvantaged and low income working parents.

Capital expenditure over the course of the NCIP is expected to amount to approximately €190 million and create over 25,000 additional child care places. I regret to advise the Deputy that, due to the economic turndown, the capital programme closed to new applicants in April of this year.

The new ECCE scheme, will allow qualifying children to avail of a free pre-school place in the year before they commence primary school. In January 2010, the scheme is open to private and community based pre-school services which are notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) or registered with the Irish Montessori Educational Board (IMEB).

Services which choose to participate in the scheme, will receive grant funding from my Office based on a capitation fee of €2,450 per annum for each qualifying child. In return, the service will be required to provide appropriate programme based activities as part of the free pre-school year. Full details of the scheme, including the terms and conditions which will apply, are available on my Office's website at www.omcya.ie.

Following the announcement of the scheme in April of this year, my Office wrote to pre-school services operating in the State, inviting them to apply in respect of the period January to August 2010. I understand that the Montessori service referred to by the Deputy has applied to participate in the ECCE scheme and, subject to contractual requirements being met, would be expected to receive grant funding from my Office in January 2010.