2855. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will introduce some flexibility or option for parents of children who are born in January, to enable them to avail of the ECCE scheme when the child is two years and seven months old rather than automatically having to wait for the following September entry date; if she accepts that many children born in January only avail of a single year of the ECCE scheme before transitioning to primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60299/26]

A child must have turned 2 years and 8 months on or before 31st August 2026 and not be older than 5 years and 6 months on or before 2nd July 2027, to be eligible for the 2026/2027 programme year.

The list below sets out relevant eligibility dates by year of birth:

The minimum eligibility age of 2 years and 8 months was chosen based on national experience and a review of international practice. It also had regard to the regulatory environment for early years education and care in this country and issues such as child development readiness and adult-child ratios.

Children born in 2024 will be eligible for their first year of ECCE from September 2027 and for a second year from September 2028. There is no provision for a child to start ECCE prior to their eligibility date.

The Department accepts that the use of age limits in a scheme such as ECCE creates a situation whereby a child can fall just outside the age range, however, the Department must place an age cut-off at some point, and in the interests of fairness and consistency there can be no discretion in this regard.

An independent review of the ECCE Programme was completed in 2024. This review examined how the programme is currently functioning and identified potential enhancements, informed by extensive engagement with parents, children, ECCE providers and educators. The review included consideration of the current age eligibility criteria and the potential for greater flexibility within these criteria. This review found that the younger age range in pre-school might struggle with the ECCE programme ratios, which is commonly 1 adult to 11 children in ECCE rooms.

It is important to note that all children are eligible for 2 years of free preschool under the ECCE programme. ECCE is not a mandatory programme, and it is a parental decision whether a child completes the full two years when eligible.