Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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608. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 1435 of 2 May 2017, if she will address further queries raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22892/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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On the matter of “Rules on Exemption”, exceptions to the upper age limit can be granted in circumstances where the child has been assessed by the HSE or a treating consultant as having special needs which should delay their entry into primary school. Such applications are submitted in writing to the DCYA and are assessed on a case by case basis.

On the matter of “Age Cut Off for Children Commencing School”, this upper age limit was set in consultation with the Early Years Policy Unit of the Department of Education and Skills to limit the age range of children beginning primary school and to ensure that children transition into primary school with their peers.

On the issue of the “scheme discriminating disadvantaged children”, I would like to highlight that there are currently a number of childcare subvention schemes in operation to support disadvantaged parents, including the Community Childcare Subvention which allows qualifying parents to avail of reduced childcare costs. There are also a number of childcare schemes available under the Training and Employment Childcare programmes for parents participating in certain training courses, on community employment and those on Department of Social Protection (DSP) employment programmes. These programmes will be replaced with the Affordable Childcare Scheme which will further support disadvantaged parents and remove the barriers to employment and education for many parents.

While I appreciate that where eligibility criteria exist, particularly criteria relating to age, there will be frustration for those outside of those criteria, such criteria are necessary to ensure a fair and impartial selection process and ensure that the scheme can be targeted appropriately to the maximum benefit of the children concerned.