Pre-school measure broadly welcomed

THE provision by the state of a year of pre-school education will not cover full-day childcare but the measure was generally welcomed last night.

The €170 million being redirected from the Early Childcare Supplement will contribute e2,400 a year to families for children aged between three years, three months and four-and-a-half years old from next January.

It will be used to subsidise playschool services for giving a child three hours of pre-school provision a day, five days a week for 38 weeks a year.