Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The award-winning access and inclusion model, AIM, has supported more than 27,000 children with a disability to access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme since it was first introduced in September 2016. A commitment to expand AIM beyond the ECCE programme was first made in the First 5 strategy. The fulfilment of this commitment is informed by an independent evaluation of AIM, which has just been completed and which I will publish in January. All participants in that evaluation - teachers, parents, educators and providers - supported the expansion of AIM supports to hours outside the ECCE programme.

In budget 2024, I was pleased to be able to secure an additional €14 million for AIM. Some €7 million of this allocation will support the increasing cohort of children with a disability requiring AIM supports to access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme. An addition €7 million provides for an expansion of targeted AIM supports to these children beyond time spent in the ECCE programme, in term and out of term from next September. The full-year cost of this development will be €21 million. The specific rules underpinning this extension are currently being developed. However, the intent of the additional funding is to support ECCE-enrolled children with a disability to remain in services for the full day if they wish to do so.

The precise allocation model for this expansion of AIM is currently under design. I will communicate in early 2024. Information relating to individual counties will not be available until the expansion is in place. Actual uptake will depend on a range of factors, including parental choice. It is my ambition that, over time, all children with a disability enrolled in early learning and care services will have access to supports under AIM. To this end, my officials will next consider how younger children with a disability, who are not old enough yet to register for the ECCE programme, could also be supported through AIM.

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