Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 580: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if children with special needs who are enrolled in the early childhood care and education scheme will have a special needs assistant provided for the full 15 hours per week of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38990/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have responsibility for the implementation of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme which is being introduced in January 2010. All services participating in the ECCE scheme will be required to make reasonable accommodation for children with special needs, as required under the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004. Where additional assistance is sought for children enrolled in participating services, the Health Service Executive (HSE) will assess the level of assistance required. The level of assistance provided will vary depending on the level of need assessed and the availability of resources.

The ECCE scheme includes a number of provisions to address issues which may arise in relation to children with special needs. These include extending the upper age limit for qualification under the scheme to allow children who have been assessed by the HSE as being developmentally delayed or having a physical or sensory disability which prevents them from availing of age-appropriate education. In such cases, the pre-school year relevant to such children will be taken as their qualifying year.

To apply for an exemption to be made on either of these grounds, a letter should be forwarded to the Childcare Directorate in my Office stating the reasons for the exception sought. The letter should be accompanied by a copy of the child's birth certificate, details of his or her Personal Public Service (PPS) number and the name and address of the pre-school service in which s/he will be enrolled. In addition, the letter should be accompanied either by a supporting assessment report from the HSE or, where relevant, by a letter from the Principal of the local primary school confirming the age admissions policy applied. Given the timeframe available before the introduction of the first period of free pre-school provision in January next, it is accepted that not all parents will have had time to apply for and receive an assessment report in advance of this date. To accommodate parents in this position, a professional assessment other than from the HSE may be accepted. This would not include assessments provided, for example, by a General Practitioner.

Additionally, the general requirement that a child would be expected to attend 4 or 5 days each week will not apply to children with special needs where a shorter week would be more appropriate to their needs. Many specialist pre-school services arrange for children attending their services to also attend a mainstream service for 1, 2, or 3 days a week and this will continue to be facilitated under the ECCE.