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, called the Better Starts 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. Funding of €15m has been provided to phase these supports in during 2016. Full year costs for these supports are estimated to be €33 from 2017 onwards. This model of supports was launched on 18th November last by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs with the full support of both the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Skills.
The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Improving access to therapy services for children in primary care and in disability services is a particular priority for the Government. Building on additional investment in recent years, funding of €8m is being provided to the HSE in 2016 to expand the provision of Speech and Language Therapy in primary care and the further development of early intervention therapy services under the Progressing Disabilities Programme to facilitate the inclusion of children with a disability in mainstream pre-school settings, as part of the roll out of the new inclusive pre-schools model.
It should be noted that while the Health Services 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 services 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 and specific cases at local level, disability services have in the past also facilitated children with a disability to attend mainstream pre-schools by providing additional supports where possible and where resources are available. When introducing AIM, there was specific emphasis on the fact that all existing supports, should remain in place until the new model is fully embedded in the system. This approach was agreed by the three Government Departments involved in the development of the model and remains the policy position.
Within this context, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
