David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of pre-school services in operation here; the number of pre-school providers participating in the free pre-school year in the early childhood care and education scheme; the breakdown of same in each child care committee area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12168/10]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of children who are enrolled with pre-school education services across the country; the number who are receiving a free pre-school year from the early childhood care and education services in each county child care area; the breakdown of these children that is available per age group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12169/10]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of pre-school services offering the free pre-school year in the early childhood care and education scheme which came into operation in January 2010; the number of these providers who are seeking optional extra charges or voluntary donations from parents to cover additional costs such as extra hours, food and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12170/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 to 133, inclusive, together.

I have responsibility for the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme which was introduced in January of this year. Approximately 4,700 pre-school services in the State are notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE). Some 4,000 of these, or 85%, are participating in the ECCE scheme. Over 51,000 children, or 80%, of children in the year before school year, are availing of a free pre-school year place. This rises to over 53,500 (almost 85%) of children in the year before school, when account is taken of those availing of a pre-school year under the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) which is also implemented by my Office. The Table attached sets out the number of pre-school services participating in the ECCE scheme and the number of children enrolled in the ECCE scheme, broken down by City and County Childcare Committee area.

I must advise the Deputy that my Office does not have details in regard to the number of children attending pre-school services which are not participating in the ECCE scheme, whether in the qualifying age range for the scheme or not, as they would be attending on the basis of private arrangements between parents and providers. The age range in which children qualify for the scheme spans a period of almost 17 months and includes all children aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months in September of each year.

With regard to the number of participating services which offer optional extra services, including additional hours, each participating service is required to provide a fee policy to its local City or County Childcare Committee including fees charged in respect of non-qualified children, and details in regard to optional additional fees. This information is important, in individual cases, to ensure that services are compliant with the terms and conditions of the scheme, and information concerning the fees charged of parents outside the scheme is collated, in summary form. However, the nature of the details concerning optional extras does not lend itself to summary data, and is not, therefore, collated on a national basis.

| Services | Children enrolled

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Carlow | 53 | 691

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Cavan | 69 | 970

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Clare | 152 | 1433

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Cork City | 86 | 1093

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Cork County | 333 | 4756

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Donegal | 132 | 1869

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Dublin City | 342 | 3255

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown | 184 | 1814

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Fingal | 330 | 3358

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Galway | 288 | 2815

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Kerry | 129 | 1518

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Kildare | 244 | 2774

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Kilkenny | 114 | 1163

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Laois | 82 | 996

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Leitrim | 34 | 414

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Limerick City | 47 | 597

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Limerick County | 140 | 1645

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Longford | 45 | 494

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Louth | 139 | 1514

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Mayo | 128 | 1427

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Meath | 219 | 2618

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Monaghan | 57 | 881

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Offaly | 67 | 951

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Roscommon | 61 | 713

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Sligo | 67 | 643

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

South Dublin | 240 | 2684

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Tipperary North | 79 | 857

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Tipperary South | 81 | 1068

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Waterford City | 44 | 628

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Waterford County | 51 | 690

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Westmeath | 97 | 1152

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Wexford | 135 | 1846

-------------------------+-------------------------+-------------------------

Wicklow | 147 | 1677

NB. The figures for services include those where two services are

co-located e.g. a 50 week creche and 38 week playschool on the same

premises. The figures for children are subject to ongoing process, whereincomplete returns were made by services.