Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1476. To ask the Minister for Health the Department which is responsible for the provision of nursing hours to enable disabled children to attend primary school; and the age at which a child with disabilities is entitled to attend school under the Constitution. [26330/16]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The Department of Education and Skills is responsible for the education of all children, including children with a disability.

The compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age, as defined in the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, while the Rules and Programme for National Schools provide that a child must be at least 4 years of age before she/he may be enrolled in a National School.

Although children are not obliged to attend school until the age of six, most children begin school in the September following their fourth birthday.

The age at which children, including children with disabilities, may attend a primary national school is therefore from 4 year old.

The Department of Education and Skills also provides an Early Intervention Programme for Children with Autism. Parents can choose to enrol children with autism in an early intervention class from the age of three, and where such a placement is not available, home tuition is approved. Home tuition is also provided to children with autism aged between 2½ and 3 years of age as they cannot enrol in an early intervention school class until they reach the age of three.

Additional pre-school education, is provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The principal vehicle for the delivery of pre-school education is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which was introduced in January 2010 and provides for early learning in a formal setting to children in the year before they commence primary school.

Children with disabilities will now have better access to pre-school services under a new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) programme of supports, which was recently announced, on 15 June 2016, by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Details of the supports which will be available under the preschool AIM scheme can be found at www.preschoolaccess.iewhich contains comprehensive information on the access and inclusion model and on how to apply for the new schemes and supports.

Responsibility for the provision of health related supports lies with the HSE in the first instance.

As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.