Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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230. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps to be taken by the parent of a child in order to secure an additional year of preschool learning under the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme (details supplied); and the body to which such an application should be made. [30394/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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ECCE provides two years of free pre-school. Children are eligible for ECCE if they are 2 years and 8 months old on or prior to 31 August of the year they start ECCE. In addition, a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE programme year, which runs from late August to the end of June.

In exceptional circumstances, exemptions from the upper age limit may be granted where a child has additional needs.

Overage exemptions for the ECCE programme are governed by three guiding principles:

- The child will not be 6yrs or older starting primary school.

- The child has not availed of two years of ECCE

- The application is supported with the inclusion of a letter of recommendation from a medical specialist (not a GP/Public Health Nurse) stating that it is in the best interest of the child to avail of a further year of preschool.

Applications may be made by either the parents or the service provider and submitted in writing to eyqueries@dcya.gov.ie