Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports available to children with additional needs in childcare settings where the child is too young to enrol in ECCE and cannot access AIM support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14339/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower Early Learning and Care (ELC) 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 quality early years care and education in any mainstream ELC service. AIM resources are allocated based on a child’s individual needs.

An independent evaluation of AIM was published in January 2024. The findings from the evaluation have already informed the phased extension of AIM announced in Budget 2024, which commenced with the extension of targeted AIM supports to ECCE-age children beyond time they spend in the ECCE programme, both in-term and out-of-term from September 2024. Children can now access these supports for up to an additional 3 hours per day during the ECCE term and up to 6 hours per day outside of the ECCE term (in holiday periods).

It is intended that over time, all children with additional needs registered in early learning and care (ELC) services will have access to supports under AIM. To this end, a tailored model is under design which would enable the extension of AIM to children under three. It is also intended to give consideration at a later date to an extension of AIM for children attending school-age childcare.