Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that. AIM is an excellent programme and it is a huge benefit to children, particularly in the ECCE years. I know it is very frustrating for parents of children who are younger than that but it is welcome.

I want to ask about some of the other issues that came up today, and I know we have a committee session on this next week. There was definitely clear frustration, with people feeling they had engaged in a consultation process, and I am talking about the providers and the workers, with one particular situation having been referenced, where they had a new set of accounts, and I am only using that as an example, but the people said they went to consultations, they were very honest and gave their feedback, and yet, after all the consultations, they got a letter saying this situation is going ahead. Will there be consultation with the sector with regard to the expansion of AIM? It is welcome, it definitely needs to happen and it is a good thing it is happening, but there needs to be consultation with those who work in the sector and provide the service.

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