The Free Pre-School Year in the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) is a universal childcare programme designed to give children access to 2 years free pre-school education before they start primary school.
If your child is eligible for the free pre-school year then your child is entitled to a pre-school session of 3 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 38 weeks, for free.
Childcare services can charge for additional services that they provide, such as additional hours and optional extra activities, such as trips, swimming, parties, etc. Please be advised that parents are not obliged to avail of any optional extras.
If you avail of extra hours/optional activities, your ECCE payment will be applied as a reduction of €69 weekly for 38 weeks. It is not mandatory that children attend 5 days per week but, where they do not, the capitation fee will be reduced on a pro-rata basis.
You should make contact with some local childcare services to see if they have ECCE places available. They will explain their fees to you, along with any extras that they offer. Once you have found a childcare service that you wish your child to attend, they will ask you for some information about your child, such as your child’s PPS number and date of birth.
You may choose to transfer your child from one ECCE service to another at any stage during the pre-school year. However you must give 4 weeks’ notice to the childcare service you are moving from. Please request a leaver form from the original service to be taken to the new service.
Please see the ECCE Eligibility Table below for further information on eligibility and entry points.
If your child is above the upper age limit for the ECCE programme there are some circumstances where the child can continue to participate in the ECCE programme. In exceptional circumstances, exemptions from the upper age limit may be granted where a child has additional needs which delay their entry to school. Applications for such exemptions must be submitted in writing to the DCYA and must include a letter of recommendation from a specialist stating support for the child to avail of a further year of preschool. Exemptions will not be granted where a child will turn 6 during the pre-school year.
The following is a summary of changes to the ECCE programme with effect from September 2018:
The new measures will fully benefit those born from 2015 onwards whilst those born previous to that will continue to benefit from the expanded programme announced in Budget 2016.
The following table sets out relevant eligibility dates by year of birth: Table 1: Eligibility for ECCE by month of birth and of enrolment in pre-school | ||
Birth date between | Eligible Enrolment date(s) | ECCE end date |
1st January 2016 – 31st December 2016 | 1st September 2019 + 1st September 2020 | June 2021 |
1st January 2017 – 31st December 2017 | 1st September 2020 + 1st September 2021 | June 2022 |
1st January 2018 – 31st December 2018 | 1st September 2021 + 1st September 2022 | June 2023 |
1st January 2019 – 31st December 2019 | 1st September 2022 + 1st September 2023 | June 2024 |
30 Clondarrig Court, Bellingham
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 334965
Manager: Carol Phelan
St. Pius X National School
Ballacolla
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 9509568
Barrowhouse Community Hall, Barrowhouse
Barrowhouse
Co. Laois
Mob: 083 3900533
Manager: Siobhan Lacey
24 Beechlawn
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Birchgrove Community Centre
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 3543906
Springhill Rd
Graiguecullen
Co. Laois
Tel: 059 914 3328
Manager: Melanie Watson
56 Ardan Glas
Portlaoise
Co. Co. Laois
Mob: 089 4281952
Childminder: Christine Downes
Acragar
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
6A Rahinwood
Ballylinan
Co. Laois
Tel: 089 2161320
Manager: Ann Blake
Parish Hall
Clough
Ballacolla
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 458 0415
Corrig
Stradbally
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 226 7042
Manager: Edel Graham
Old Convent
Rathdowney
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 655 8254
Manager: Claire Ryan
8 The Garden Village
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 862 0518
Manager: Niamh Walshe
Maryborough Village
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 868 5161
Manager: Niamh Walshe
Old Boys School
Durrow
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 238 9140
Manager: Sheila Clancy
St. Marys School Hall
Church Avenue
Stradbally
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 784 7898
Manager: Sheila Conroy
Main Street
Ballybrittas
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 8633564
Manager : Suzanne Fleming
Treo Nua
Harpurs Lane
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Leader: Lesa Gilligan
The Thatch
Killenard
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 864 5005
Manager: Sinead Boland/ Valerie Keating
95 Loughgate
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 86 40496
Manager: Sinead Boland
St Fiaccs Primary School
Killeshin Road
Graiguecullen
Co. Co. Laois
Clough Hall
Clough
Ballacolla
Co. Laois
Rath Community Centre
Ballybrittas
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 369 0305
Manager: Colette Behan
Fr Breen Park
Abbeyleix
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 873 1904
Manager: Margaret Burke
28 Bruach Na Habann
Killeen
Maganey
Co. Laois
Church Street
Ballinakill
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 399 8111
Manager: Joan Lacey
Whitefields
Station Road
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Crann Nua
Edenderry Road
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Rosenallis Community Centre
Rosenallis
Co. Laois
Harbour Street
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 86 97973
Manager: Michelle Bowes
Killadooley
Ballybrophy
Co. Laois
Tel: 050 544 890
Manager: Mary Ellen
Dublin Road
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
48 Glenbarrow
Ballyfin Road
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 86 62708
Manager: Phil Dowling
Camross Village
Camross
Camross
Co. Laois
Raheen Village
Raheen
Co. Laois
Tower Hill
Church Street
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Lisduff
Errill
Co. Laois
Tel: 0505 44961
Manager: Rosaleen Fairbrother
Galesquarter
Cullahill
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 641 3478
Manager: Aishling Saunders
41A Rochford Manor
Graiguecullen
Co. Carlow
Mob: 087 622 9471
Manager: Mags Enright
Dublin Road
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 365 0708
Manager: Audrey Whelan
Kilminchy Village
Kilminchy
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Community Group
Gort na Noir
Abbeyleix
Co. Co. Laois
Borris Road
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 089 4555639
Manager: Elaine Gavin
78 Hawthorn Drive
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 866 7997
Manager: Nuala McEvoy
Hollyfield
Acragar
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 226 4417
Manager: Majella Fitzpatrick
21 Borris Little
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 868 3778
Manager: Monica Delaney
Gort Na nOir
Mountrath Rd
Abbeyleix
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 858 6646
Manager: Fionn Bardon
Methodist Hall
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
Mountmellick Development Association Office
Irishtown
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 86 24601
Mob: 087 6444963
Link Road
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 863 6836
Manager: Niamh Rothwell
Garoon
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
Norefield House
Abbeyleix
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 156 4040
Manager: Patricia Nuzum
Aras Eoghain
OMoore Place
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 354 3906
Manager: Therese Ryan
40 Crossmeem Manor
Leighlin Road
Carlow Town
Co. Laois
Tel: 059 9169860
Mob: 085 813 7119
Portarlington Community Centre
Link Road
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 683 2781
Manager: Frances Deverell
Portarlington Community Centre
Link Road
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Stradbally Rd
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
34 Heather Hill
Graiguecullen
Carlow Town
Co. Carlow
Tel: 059 918 2227
Manager: Laura Ralph
Cullenbeg Community Centre
Ballycullenbeg
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
Tel: 087 680 2173
Clonincurragh
Mountrath
Co. Laois
Summerhill Downs
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Nano Nagle Hall
Aghnaharna Dr
Summer Hill
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 083 8922865
Manager: Sarah Grange
Scoil Bhride NS
Harper's Lane,
Knockmay
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 083 8922865
Irey
Ballyfin
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 624 2996
Manager: Kathleen O'Connor
Bracklone Street
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Irishtown
Mountmellick
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 864 4492
Manager: Catriona O'Hearne
The Parish Centre
Newtown
Crettyard
Co. Laois
Old Boys School
Castletown
Co. Laois
De Vesci Court
Fairgreen
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 7785242
Manager: Sandra Lobvanoska
44 The Fairways
Abbeyleix
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 873 0001
Manager: Margaret Palmer-Bergin
The Den
Killeshin Community Development Ltd
Killeshin
Co. Carlow
Tel: 059 914 7909
Manager: Helen Curry
10 Carrick Hill
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 866 0052
Manager: Orlagh McCrory
Main Street
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Kea Lew Business Park
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Manger: Monica Delaney
Forest Park
Borris Little
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 868 1762
Manager: Monica Delaney
Killimy
Emo
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 085 822 5481
Manager: Colette Rigney
Lisduff
Errill
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 050 544 961
Manager: Rosaleen Fairbrother
41 Blossom Court
Esker Hills
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Bog Road
Ballyroan
Co. Laois
Tel: 057 875 7336
Manager: Edith O'Sullivan
Cappanafeacle
Ballyadams
Athy
Co. Laois
Timahoe
Co. Laois
Boughlone
Mountrath Rd
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Tel: 086 312 3596
Manager: Nicola Larkin
St Josephs National School
Borris in Ossory
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 199 3984
Manager: Elizabeth Ward
Ballymorris Road
Portarlington
Co. Laois
Mob: 086 863 0039
Manager: Bernie Reddin
Parish Centre
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
Mob: 085 730 6284
Leader: Susan Lewis
4 Newline Close
Mountrath
Co. Laois
Mob: 087 416 2377
Manager: Colette Phelan
Cappanarrow
Camross
Co. Laois
Tel: 086 876 1994
Manager: Triinu Tamm
Rahin
Ballylinan
Co. Laois
Tel: 059 862 5497
Manager: Beverley Kaye