Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
639. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine concerns raised by an early years provider (details supplied) regarding the new one-per-room restriction on AIM level seven maintenance of reduced ratio arrangements; and to clarify the policy and evidence-based rationale for the change and its operation in respect of existing AIM allocations. [68169/26]
View answerThe Access and Inclusion Model or AIM is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with a disability or additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education or ECCE programme. The goal of AIM is to empower early learning and care 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 learning and care in any mainstream service participating in ECCE.
With regard to the maintenance of reduced ratios, since only one is permitted within one room under the AIM Rules, a service needs review cannot recommend a further reduced ratio. Transitional arrangements are not permitted and it is not intended that a review of the maintenance of reduced ratio rule will be undertaken.
It is not considered that allowing more than one maintenance of reduced ratio within a room would best meet the needs of children with additionally complex or medically complex needs. Additional assistance is what is required to meet the needs of children with additionally complex or medically complex needs.
In addition, the reduction of available places impacts children seeking an ECCE place. If more than one maintenance of reduced ratio was permitted, then every time a ratio in a particular room was reduced it would decrease the number of available places by a further three places rather than adding extra adults to assist.
It should be noted that the AIM rules 2025/2026 which were published in November 2025 refer to maintaining a reduced ratio rather than multiple reduced ratios. The AIM Rules do not refer to more than one maintenance of reduced ratio within one room because it was understood that only one would be applied and it was therefore not considered necessary to state this. However, now that the question has arisen it has been decided to provide clarity in regard to this rule and this clarification was recently published on the Hive. The AIM Rules 2026/2027 now include this clarification and will be published shortly online.
