The North's Minister of Education, Mr Martin McGuinness, has announced a major cash injection that will provide free nursery places for three-quarters of Northern Ireland's pre-school children.
Mr McGuinness said the £38 million sterling cash grant would secure 9,000 free new pre-school education places in the North.
The allocation will bring the number of free nursery places to almost 19,000 in the statutory, voluntary and private school sectors.
"I am delighted to say that there are now places for three out of every four children in their pre-school year," the Minister said in Galliagh Nursery School in Derry.
"Three years ago 45 per cent of children attended free nursery school. I'm hopeful this can be pushed up to 85 per cent in a year's time," he added.
