Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the State is failing to accommodate special needs children in pre-school year with a special needs assistant, resulting in special needs children not being able to avail of the free pre-school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24331/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The inclusion of children with additional needs at all levels of the education system is an integral element of government policy.

Government investment in early childhood care and education services is funded primarily through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The Early Childhood Care and Education programme, which is funded by that Department, includes a number of provisions that are intended to support the inclusion of children with special needs in the free pre-school year. These include an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification under the programme where a child is developmentally delayed and 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.

'Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures', the Children and Young People's Policy Framework, contains a commitment to develop a plan for the inclusion of children with a disability in mainstream pre-school and early years settings.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has lead responsibility for the implementation of this commitment and over the summer months it will coordinate an intensive process of deliberation and appropriate consultation, in conjunction with my Department and the Department of Health, to develop a cross-departmentally supported proposal for an appropriate model for supports to pre-school children with special needs.