Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
496. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the changes in eligibility and points of entry since the ECCE commenced and the Programme for Government commitment to evaluate options to amend the ECCE eligibility criteria.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5257/26]
View answerThe ECCE Programme was announced in April 2009, with the first children enrolling from January 2010. When first introduced, children were required to be between the ages of 3 years and 2 months and 4 years and 7 months in September of the year they enrolled. Children were eligible for one year Programme Year (38 weeks in total) of funded pre-school under the Programme.
ECCE was extended in September 2016, and children were then eligible to enrol in ECCE at age three and remain in Programme until they transitioned to primary school. Under this extension, three enrolment points were introduced – September, January and April.
The number of entry points for Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) reverted from three to one at the beginning of September 2018. This measure addressed the previous situation whereby there was a broad fluctuation in the number of free preschool weeks a child could avail of and ensures a programme that is equitable for all children. All children are now eligible to 2 free years of ECCE, and can enrol from the age of 2 years 8 months, with the upper age limit set at 5 years and 6 months by June 30th of the relevant Programme Year.
An independent review of the ECCE Programme was completed in 2024, and the final report was published last October. This review examined the operation of the Programme and considered potential flexibility within the eligibility criteria and points of entry.
In line with the Programme for Government commitment to “evaluate options to amend the ECCE eligibility criteria”, Department officials are considering changes to the age eligibility criteria. Shaping the Future, the recently published Early Years Action Plan Phase 1 report, notes that the potential to extend the ECCE free pre-school programme and amend the age-eligibility criteria will be included in consultations and analysis under Phase 2 of the Action Plan. All changes to the Programme will require a thorough review of the evidence and consideration of the impacts on children, parents, and preschool providers.
