Pre-school scheme ‘needs extra €5m’

Ireland’s free pre-school scheme needs an additional €5m to cope with the country’s baby boon, Early Childhood Ireland claims.

While Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has reassured the organisation that the free pre-school year will remain, the organisation wants a guarantee that the scheme will stay free and available to all.

Early Childhood Ireland is the representative group for more than 80% of pre- schools, daycare centres, parent and toddler groups, and after-school services supporting more than 80,000 children