Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 543: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the preschool grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9409/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The objective of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to children in the year before they commence primary school. Approximately 4,300 preschool services, 95% of those operating in the State, are participating in the programme which requires appropriate age related activities and programmes to be provided to children within a targeted age range which spans almost 17 months.

Children are eligible for the free Preschool Year where they are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months in September of the relevant year and 63,000 children, or 94% of the eligible cohort, are currently availing of the programme. 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. In the case referred to by the Deputy, as the child in question was born in July 2007 he will be eligible for the free Preschool Year commencing in September 2011 should his parents choose to avail of this option. I understand that this issue has been investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman for Children which found no reason to remove or amend the lower age limit, accepting it as reasonable having regard to the various factors which apply.