Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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406. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated fall in the number of ECCE places for September 2021; the indicative number of children who will commence and continue in ECCE in September 2021; the way this compares with 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36481/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range.

The total number of children registered for ECCE in the 2020/21 programme year was 102,422.

For the ECCE 2021/22 programme year my Department estimates a slight decrease in enrolments, as a result of changing demographics and a drop in birth rates, rather than a decrease in the popularity of the ECCE programme.