Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36611/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have responsibility for implementing the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, which provides for a free pre-school year to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. Children qualify for the free pre-school year where they are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months in September of the relevant year. This means that children born between 2 February 2006 and 30 June 2007 are eligible for the free pre-school year which commenced in September 2010. There is no provision under the scheme to enrol children that are below the qualifying age.

The objective of the ECCE scheme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to all children in the year before they commence primary school. Services participating in the pre-school year are expected to provide appropriate age related activities and programmes to children within a particular age cohort. It is necessary, therefore, to target the pre-school year at a particular age cohort and to set minimum and maximum limits to the age range within which children participate in the scheme.

In setting the minimum and maximum age limits, account was taken of a number of factors, including the variation in school admission policies and the fact that the majority of children commence primary school between the ages of 4 years 6 months and 5 years 6 months. I understand that the person referred to by the Deputy has a child who will qualify for the ECCE scheme in September 2011 but is outside of the lower age limit for qualification in September 2010.

I also have responsibility for implementing the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) scheme which provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to charge reduced childcare fees to disadvantaged and low income families. Parents can qualify for support with their childcare costs through the CCS scheme which is open to community not for profit childcare services. Some 950 services throughout the State are participating in the CCS scheme and receive funding which is passed on to qualifying parents in the form of reduced childcare fees.

Eligibility for a GP visit card is based on net income and takes account of outgoings such as rent and mortgage repayments and other expenses including childcare costs and travelling expenses. As a result, parents with substantial gross incomes can qualify under the CCS scheme. Parents who do not qualify for subvention are charged the cost price for their childcare service. Parents who consider that they qualify for support under the CCS scheme should contact their local City and County Childcare Committee to establish exactly what participating community facilities are available in their area.