149. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the extent to which the potential reduction in ECCE capacity influenced the decision to restrict maintenance of reduced ratio arrangements to one per room; whether consideration was given to circumstances in which a smaller group size may provide a more appropriate support than the addition of further adult assistance; and the way in which the policy aligns with the objective of ensuring meaningful participation and inclusion of children with additional needs in mainstream early years settings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74533/26]

The 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.

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.

To clarify, there was no decision to limit the policy to one reduced ratio, rather the policy intention was always that only one would apply.  As previously stated, it was only when queries recently arose regarding the reduced ratio that it was 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.

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 and keeping a limit of one only per room is not considered to be a restriction. Additional assistance is what is required to meet the needs of children with additionally complex or medically complex needs. In addition, 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.