Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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328. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the personal assistant service for children with special needs to allow them to attend preschool is not filling the hours awarded in the North Lee in Cork, while in the South Lee in Cork personal assistant hours are being fully filled, leaving children in the North Lee unable to attend their full early childhood care and education preschool year; the action the Health Service Executive is taking to resolve this disparity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27180/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, provides for a free pre-school year to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school.The objective of this scheme is to support early learning in a formal setting in advance of starting 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.

The Health Service Executive has no statutory obligation to provide assistant supports for children with special needs wishing to avail of the free pre-school year. However, the HSE does work at local level and in partnership with the relevant disability service providers to address individual needs as they arise. This is done, for example, by funding special pre-schools that cater specifically for children with disabilities. In some limited cases at local level, disability services have also facilitated children with disabilities to attend mainstream pre-schools by providing assistant supports where possible and where resources are available. The provision of such pre-school assistant supports should not be confused with Special Needs Assistants who are funded by the Department of Education and Skills to support children with special educational needs in primary and post-primary school settings.

The Better Outcomes, Brighter Futureschildren and young people's policy framework that has been developed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs 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 will coordinate an intensive process of deliberation and appropriate consultation in conjunction with my Department and the Department of Education and Skills to develop a cross-Departmentally supported proposal for an appropriate model for supports to pre-school children with special needs.

Within this context, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the operational information he has requested insofar as this is available. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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329. To ask the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive will ensure that a child (details supplied) in County Cork will have her full personal assistant hours filled to allow the child to attend the early childhood care and education preschool year, as is the child's entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27182/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, provides for a free pre-school year to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. The objective of this scheme is to support early learning in a formal setting in advance of starting 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.

The Health Service Executive has no statutory obligation to provide assistant supports for children with special needs wishing to avail of the free pre-school year. However, the HSE does work at local level and in partnership with the relevant disability service providers to address individual needs as they arise. This is done, for example, by funding special pre-schools that cater specifically for children with disabilities. In some limited cases at local level, disability services have also facilitated children with disabilities to attend mainstream pre-schools by providing assistant supports where possible and where resources are available. The provision of such pre-school assistant supports should not be confused with Special Needs Assistants who are funded by the Department of Education and Skills to support children with special educational needs in primary and post-primary school settings.

The Better Outcomes, Brighter Futureschildren and young people's policy framework that has been developed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs 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 will coordinate an intensive process of deliberation and appropriate consultation in conjunction with my Department and the Department of Education and Skills to develop a cross-Departmentally supported proposal for an appropriate model for supports to pre-school children with special needs.

As the issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. I have asked the HSE to look into the particular matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.