Written answers

Wednesday, 3 February 2021

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Early Childhood Care and Education

Photo of Kathleen FunchionKathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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475. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when details for the resumption of the full early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5180/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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On Tuesday 26 January, Government made the decision to extend the suspension of the ECCE programme and to continue to restrict access to other Early Learning and Childcare services to the children of essential workers and to vulnerable children.

The decision to postpone resumption of the ECCE programme and the restrict access to ELC/SAC services only to children of essential workers and vulnerable children has been taken in order to minimise the movement of people at a time of elevated levels of infection of Covid-19 in the community, whilst at the same time providing a service for those who most need it.

It is currently planned for these arrangements to be in place until 5 March.  This timeframe remains subject to review in the context of the evolving public health circumstances.

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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476. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to the circumstances regarding ECCE in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5288/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE programme year.

In certain circumstances, an overage exemption to the upper age limit is granted to children with additional needs subject to an application to my Department.

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

- A specialist has recommended the additional time in the ECCE Programme

- The child not reaching 6 years of age before beginning primary education as per the Educational Welfare Act, 2000. 

- If a child has already availed of the full two years of the ECCE Programme, they will not be eligible for a further year.

Where an application does not fulfil the above criteria the application is declined.

An application submitted to my Department for an overage exemption on behalf of the child named did not include a recommendation from a specialist as required and this was communicated to the parents. If the parents have a recommendation from a specialist, it is open to them to re-apply if they so wish.

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