Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is the universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The ECCE programme and policy, including the age rules, are under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The ECCE programme is available to all children who have turned 2 years and 8 months of age before August 31st as long they won’t turn 5 years and 6 months of age on or before June 30th of the programme year.

School starting age is a policy matter under the remit of my Department. Children can be enrolled in primary school from the age of 4 upwards, and must have started their formal education by 6 years of age, as set out in the Education Welfare Act, 2000. The upper age limit for the ECCE programme was recommended to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) by my Department as it ensures that children transition into primary school with their peers and limits the age range of children beginning primary school. Limiting the diversity in age ranges in primary school is considered to be generally in the best interest of children, in relation to peer interaction in junior infants, as well as other educational considerations.

In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.

It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

• Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area

Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity and identifies any requirement for additional provision. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:

• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools
• Provision of a new school or schools

The school to which the Deputy refers is located in the Naas School Planning Area. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.