Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

266. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the costs associated with supporting children with disabilities to access the early childhood care and education scheme year, by providing special needs assistant support where required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19443/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There are a number of measures in place in my Department to ensure that the free pre-school year is more accessible to children with special needs. These include an exemption from the upper age limit where a child 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 programme for 2 days a week in the first year and for 3 days a week in the second year. I know that the HSE does, where possible, provide additional supports to children with special needs to enable them to avail of pre-school services in mainstream pre-school settings.

Previous groups chaired by the Office of the Minister for Disability and the Department of Health agreed that the best approach to meeting the needs of children with special needs at pre-school age was through mainstream pre-school services, but no agreement was reached on what the model of provision would be, or, who would lead out on developing this.

The Secretary General of my Department has recently agreed with his counterparts in the Departments of Health and Education and Skills that my Department will seek to gain agreement, in a relatively short time-frame, between the three sectors (children, education, health) on the most appropriate, workable model for supports to pre-school children with special needs. This will be followed by very close co-operation between the sectors in defining/developing the model and in making an agreed cross-departmentally supported proposal for the resources required to implement it.

There will be several challenges to agreeing an appropriate and workable model – including reviewing existing resources in the system to determine how they can best meet children's needs, and accessing the additional investment needed. My Department has committed to leading this process and it is my intention that a proposal will be available in time for the Estimates process.