Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her proposals to extend the provision of free early childhood education for a second year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49771/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has made a significant commitment to maintaining the universal free pre-school year. In the region of 66,000 children are availing of the free pre-school provision at this time.

In 2011, the ECCE programme cost approximately €163 million. Additional funding was made available for 2012 when the cost of the programme is expected to rise to €176 million to cater for changing demographics and provide for the increased number of children in the relevant age cohort.

I am aware of the need to further develop the early childhood care and education sector. However, any development that involved further pre-school provision would require considerable additional funding and given the financial constraints under which the Government is currently operating it is not possible to provide for any enhancements to the programme at this time. I am also very conscious that work is continuing on improvement of quality within the pre-school year. All of the available evidence indicates that the quality of the provision is key to good outcomes for children. I would therefore hope to invest further in quality before expanding the programme.

Future developments relating to early years care and education are being considered as part of the preparation of the National Early Years Strategy which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2013.