Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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195. To ask the Minister for Health the supports available to a child with a chromosome deletion disorder who wishes to avail of the free preschool year in 2014-15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4575/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The free pre-school year is provided through the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The objective of this scheme is to make early learning in a formal setting available to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. I understand that certain flexibilities are built into the scheme in an effort to accommodate children with special needs, such as an overage exemption, or waiver, for children with special needs who do not meet the age criteria and the option to avail of the free pre-school year over two years. While the HSE has no statutory obligation to provide supports for children with special needs wishing to avail of the free pre-school year, it works at local level and in partnership with the relevant disability service providers to address individual needs as they arise.

If the Deputy has concerns about health supports available to an individual case, it would be open to him to raise the matter with the HSE directly.