Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures being taken to consider additional allocated time under the early childhood care and education scheme given that the full service under the scheme was not available to children due to Covid-19 restrictions and some children may benefit from this ahead of starting primary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28653/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I regret that so many children missed out on part of the ECCE programme last year over the last year, due to COVID-19 related closures.

ECCE is a free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. ECCE is a play based learning programme. The programme runs from September to June each year, aligned with the primary school calendar. ECCE is not mandatory, but is very successful, with 95% of children in the eligible age rang attending.

I realise that some parents are concerned that their children may not be ready to start primary school in September as the ECCE programme was not available in January or February this year. However, ECCE has been back in operation since 8 March, and due to the strides we are making in controlling the spread of Covid-19, the programme should remain in operation until the end of term in late June.

ECCE services are preparing children for the transition to primary school in September, and my Department has launched the ‘Let’s Get Ready’ initiative to help to prepare children for the transition from pre-school to primary school this coming September.

While the ECCE programme was suspended from January to early March this year, providers were required to engage with the children and their families who normally take part in the ECCE programme.

My Department established the Preschool Hub to provide free online supports for providers to help them to continue to engage with children and families. Additional supports for parents were made available through the 'Preschool at Home' website. Particular attention was given to supporting children with additional needs who avail of supports through the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM).

The transition to primary school can be an anxious time for parents, but I can assure parents that ECCE providers and primary schools are working together to ensure that this years Junior Infants intake is not adversely effected by the loss of two months of ECCE provision earlier this year.