Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the options available to a child having completed one year of the early child care and education scheme, but due to a special needs assessment is deemed not ready to begin primary school, and is thus in need of an extra year in early child care and education. [10147/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 as a universal programme to provide children with a free pre-school year, normally in the year before they commence primary school.

While some children with special needs are availing of the free pre-school year in specialist services, many are availing of it in mainstream settings, or a mixture of the two. In February 2010, shortly after the introduction of the programme, to ensure a coherent approach to service provision and supports for children with special needs across both specialist and mainstream settings, the office asked the Office of Disability and Mental Health was asked to set up a working group to look at existing services and supports for pre-school children with special needs and the way in which these are allocated. This group is expected to report shortly.

The ECCE programme includes a number of provisions for 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 two days a week in the first year and for three days a week in the second year. I regret to advise the Deputy that the programme does not provide for a second year of free pre-school.