Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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133. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42047/17]

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 introduced the AIM model of supports to facilitate the full participation of children with a disability in the ECCE Programme. The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) provides supports including enhanced continuing professional development for early years practitioners; grants for equipment, appliances and minor alterations; and access to therapeutic intervention.

It is the AIM policy that requests for equipment or appliances will only be accepted from healthcare professionals (such as an occupational therapist or physiotherapist) working for or on behalf of the HSE. This reflects the holistic, integrated approach recommended in the Report of the Inter-Departmental Group, whereby services and supports would be prescribed and provided in a joined-up, child-centered way by a multi-disciplinary HSE team, i.e. it should support a situation where the same team is assessing and considering the child's needs across the home, pre-school and other settings. This approach also takes account of important guiding principles of equity and 'needs-driven' which underpin the model, i.e. access to supports under the model should not be affected by ability to pay.

However I understand that an application was requested under AIM Level 7 - requesting funding for additional support, and this was approved. DCYA have also requested that the application should be diverted to the HSE under AIM Level 6 - HSE Therapy Supports, in order that this child may be assessed for any equipment that may be deemed essential for his participation in the ECCE pre-school room.

Within this context, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the individual case he 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.