Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 411: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is reviewing funding for the free preschool year; and if she has ruled out any cut to the scheme funding. [2015/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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1Every major item of Government expenditure, including the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, was reviewed as part of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure undertaken by my Department prior to Budget 2012.

In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has made a significant commitment to maintaining the universal free pre-school year. In this context the funding for the pre-school year has not been cut, but in fact is to increase from €166 million in 2011 to €175.8 million in 2012 to cater for changing demographics, which means that there is an increased number of children in the relevant age cohort.

The programme was introduced in January 2010 and I am pleased to say that the take-up of the programme, which is in the region of 95% of children in the eligible cohort, is very high.