Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the early childhood care and education scheme in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33875/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, 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 on 1 September in the relevant year. This means that children born between 2 February 2007 and 30 June 2008 qualified 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.

The new Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme was introduced in September 2010 and is being implemented by my Department. The CETS programme replaces the previous childcare support schemes implemented by FÁS and the VECs under which qualifying students and trainees were given a weekly Childcare Allowance of up to €63.50 per child as a contribution to their childcare costs. Under the CETS programme, qualifying students and trainees can avail of childcare places free of charge. The eligibility criteria are unchanged and continue to be determined by FÁS and the VECs. Parents who consider that they are eligible under this programme should contact their local City and County Childcare Committee to establish if there are vacant CETS places available in their area.

I also have responsibility for implementing the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme 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 programme which is provided through community not for profit childcare services. Some 950 services throughout the State are participating in the CCS programme and receive funding which is passed on to qualifying parents in the form of reduced childcare fees.

Parents who consider that they qualify for support under the CCS programme should also contact their local City and County Childcare Committee to establish what participating community childcare facilities are available in their area.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will respond to correspondence (details supplied) regarding grants for opening a crèche; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33879/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I have responsibility for the implementation of the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) which included a capital grant programme to develop childcare facilities.

Under the NCIP capital funding was made available to community and commercial childcare providers for the development and refurbishment of childcare facilities. Due to the economic downturn, and following a review of capital expenditure, the previous Government decided to close the programme to new grant applications. There is therefore no capital funding currently available to my Department.

Commercial and community childcare providers, who fulfil certain criteria, can apply to participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which was introduced in January 2010. This programme provides a free pre-school year to all qualifying children. A standard capitation payment of €2,450 per annum, and a higher capitation payment of €2,850 per annum for services with more highly qualified staff, is payable for each eligible child enrolled under this programme.

Services can also apply to participate in the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme which was introduced in September 2010. The CETS programme provides for payments of up to €170 per week for each child enrolled in participating services to cover the childcare costs for VEC students or FÁS trainees qualifying under the programme. Details of the ECCE and CETS programmes are available from the local City or County Childcare Committee.