Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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346. To ask the Minister for Health the reason children in County Galway are failing to access early intervention in occupational therapy and speech and language services despite the new AIM programme (details supplied). [7404/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, is the responsibility of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has brought forward a new model of supports to facilitate the full participation of children with a disability in the ECCE Programme. The new model, AIM (Access and Inclusion Model), provides supports including enhanced continuing professional development for early years practitioners; grants for equipment, appliances and minor alterations; and access to therapeutic intervention. Funding of €15m was provided to phase these supports in during 2016. Full year costs for these supports are estimated to be €33m from this year onwards.

It should be noted that while the Health Service Executive has no statutory obligation to provide assistant supports for children with special needs wishing to avail of the ECCE scheme, it has, to date, worked at local level and in partnership with the relevant disability service providers to address individual needs as they arise. This has been done, for example, by funding special pre-schools that cater specifically for children with disabilities. In some limited cases at local level, disability services have also facilitated children with a disability to attend mainstream pre-schools by providing assistant supports where possible and where resources are available. The provision of such pre-school assistant supports should not be confused with Special Needs Assistants who are funded by the Department of Education and Skills to support children with special educational needs in primary and post-primary school settings.

Within this context, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the individual case she has raised. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.