Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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108. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will introduce some flexibility in the ECCE scheme to enable children with disabilities to repeat a pre-school year if needed in order that they can have a successful primary school transition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50602/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range.

One of the commitments within First 5, A Government Strategy for Babies and Children, was to undertake an end-of-year-three evaluation of AIM. The report is due to be published over the coming weeks. Subject to evaluation findings and other relevant developments, Department officials will be considering enhancements to, and/or extension of, AIM to, for example, all ELC services and/or to children outside of the eligible age range for the ECCE programme.

This will also link in with the current 12 month review of the ECCE scheme, which is due for completion in Q3 2023. The review will consider whether the programme is meeting its objectives and subject to the findings consider whether any changes need to be made. As part of this review, there will be wide stakeholder engagement.

A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE programme year.

Overage exemptions to the upper age limit of the ECCE Programme were introduced in 2010 in a context where the ECCE programme was for a year only; and the supports provided under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) did not exist. It is important to note that the overage exemption for the ECCE programme was never intended as a mechanism to delay a child’s entry to primary school.

A review of overage exemptions, undertaken by the National Disability Authority, concluded that children with disabilities would be better served by starting school with their peers and that overage exemptions should cease once enhanced transition supports available to children.

Pending the development of these enhanced transition supports, as committed to in First 5, overage exemptions remain available in certain circumstances. Parents can get information on how to apply for an overage exemption from their local County Childcare Committee, details of which can be found on

I would encourage parents of children attending the ECCE Programme to discuss their concerns as early as possible with the provider and with the Better Start AIM team. Further information on the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) can be found on aim.gov.ie

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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115. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the main developments under the core funding partner service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50361/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 115 together.

As I referenced earlier, the new Core Funding Scheme commenced on 15 September. While only in operation since then, Core Funding has already achieved significant success. 91% of services are in contract for Core Funding.

This means that a fee freeze now applies to the overwhelming majority of families using early learning and childcare services. It also means the ECCE Programme and the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) are being offered to all eligible families in these services.

This is particularly important in the context of rising prices for goods and services across the economy and in light of the significant additional investment that I secured for the NCS in Budget 2023. Core Funding has also supported the agreement of historic Employment Regulation Orders leading to wage increases for the large majority of staff in the sector.

There is also evidence of increased capacity in the sector, with initial analysis showing that increased child places funded through Core Funding are the type of capacity that is in highest demand relative to supply, particularly more baby and toddler places, as well as school-age places. The geographical breakdown across the country also indicates expansion in urban and commuter areas where there has been significant pressure on places.

In Budget 2023, I secured an additional €52 million to meet the cost of this increase in capacity in Year 1 of the Scheme. I also secured an additional €28 million to increase the Core Funding allocation to €287 million for Year 2 of the Scheme.

Already I have committed €4 million of that additional allocation bring further improvements to workforce pay and conditions (through the removal of 3-year experience rule for graduate premium) with the remaining €24 million to introduce other developments to the Scheme – that will continue to focus on meeting the combined objectives of Core Funding - improved quality for children, including through pay and conditions for staff in the sector, improved affordability for parents, as well as ensuring a stable income to providers.