Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of parents that have signed up for the new early childhood care and education scheme; the number of child-care providers participating in the scheme; the way child-care providers distinguish between children that are entitled to lunch and those that are not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5454/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have responsibility for the implementation of the free Preschool Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme which commenced in January this year. Approximately 4,000 preschool services are participating in the ECCE scheme. Each of these was required to make a return to my Office, by 29 January 2009, giving details of qualifying children attending. The service returns are currently being processed by the Child care Directorate of my Office and I understand that this process will be completed very shortly. Full and part-time day care services and sessional playschool services are subject to differing levels of regulatory requirements regarding the provision of meals and snacks including requirements where the service rather than the parent provides the meal or snack. While it is a fundamental principle of the scheme that the preschool year is provided free of charge to parents, services may charge parents for additional services including the provision of meals.