Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1170. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department plans to extend the access-and-inclusion model support beyond the three hours for children with additional needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29144/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In order for a child to access AIM supports, he or she must be within the eligible age range for the ECCE programme and be registered on the programme in a registered pre-school service. The ECCE programme is provided for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week over a 38 week programme year which runs between September and June. Operational weeks of the ECCE programme year are closely aligned with the primary school year. AIM operates in tandem with the ECCE programme and provision of AIM supports are directly linked with participation in the programme and hours of operation.

One of the commitments in First 5, the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, was to undertake an evaluation of AIM and subject to evaluation findings and other relevant developments, to consider enhancements to, and/or extension of, AIM to, for example, all early learning and care services, all school-age childcare services and to children with additional needs other than a disability.

The AIM evaluation is close to completion and the report is due to be published in quarter 3 of this year. The findings from the evaluation will inform further development of AIM, as committed to in First 5.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1171. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the access-and-inclusion model payment of €14 per hour to a maximum of 15 hours will be increased to cover the employer shortfall on employer PRSI and accrued leave given the increase in salary scale due to the impending employment regulation order. [29145/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of high quality early learning and care.

Where AIM Level 7 support is granted, additional capitation is provided to the pre-school service to either reduce the child-to-adult ratio in the pre-school room from approximately 1:11 to 1:8 or to buy in additional assistance. Level 7 is not a 1:1 support (nor is it an SNA support) but it is a shared resource with other children to facilitate optimal participation for the child who has additional needs.

When AIM was introduced in 2016, the maximum weekly AIM Level 7 capitation rate was €195 (equivalent to approximately 3 ECCE places at the standard ECCE capitation rate at the time). The maximum weekly AIM Level 7 capitation rate was increased to €240 in 2021 to align with an increase in the ECCE capitation rate in 2018.

From September 2022, Core Funding will be rolled out. Core Funding will, among other objectives, support providers to meet the requirements of any Employment Regulation Orders that result from the work of the Joint Labour Commission (JLC). It is understood that the JLC is continuing to meet, with a view to agreeing proposals.

Core Funding will provide additional funding to the overwhelming majority of providers delivering the ECCE programme, as well as providers more broadly. My Department is currently reviewing the AIM Level 7 capitation rate in light of this, with a view to maintaining the level of funding that is sufficient to achieve its policy objectives.