Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will reverse the decision which disallowed the flexibility for children with a disability to avail of their entitlement to preschool hours over a two year period in view of the fact that in many cases they are simply unable to avail of the three hours available to the majority of children; his views that this flexibility is absolutely essential to ensure that the children who need it most can avail of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5463/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, was introduced in January 2010 with the objective of providing one free pre-school year to all eligible children 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 at 1 September in the relevant year. This means that children born between 2 February 2007 and 30 June 2008 will qualify for the free pre-school year in September 2011.

The programme includes a number of provisions to take account of children with special needs. These include an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification under the scheme where a child is developmentally delayed and would benefit from starting primary school at a later age. In addition, children with special needs can apply to have the pre-school year split over two years on a pro-rata basis, for example availing of the scheme for 2 days a week in the first year and for 3 days a week in the second year. Many parents of children with special needs have chosen to avail of the pre-school year on a pro-rata basis and this arrangement continues to be available as part of the ECCE programme.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Health and Children in respect of the early childhood care and education scheme when the age of the child would preclude them from availing of the scheme, for instance when the child is 3 years 2 months on the designated date, some flexibility could be allowed to permit such children to avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5472/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, was introduced in January 2010 with the objective of providing a free pre-school year to all eligible children. 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 at 1 September in the relevant year. This means that children born between 2 February 2007 and 30 June 2008 will qualify for the free pre-school year in September 2011. There is no provision under the programme to enrol children who are below the qualifying age.

The objective of the ECCE programme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. To achieve this, services participating in the pre-school year are expected to provide age-appropriate activities and programmes to children within a particular age cohort. For this reason, it is appropriate to set minimum and maximum limits to the age range within which children will qualify.

A number of parents have asked for the lower age range to be reduced on the grounds that they wish to send their children to school when they are 4 years and 2 months of age or less. The issue was referred by some of these parents to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. That Office found no reason to remove or amend the lower age range, accepting it as reasonable having regard to the various factors which apply.