Scheme to help children with disabilities enter childcare to be expanded

More than €1.5m is to be invested in a scheme which helps children with disabilities enter childcare.

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is announcing the expansion of the Access Inclusion Model today which ensures children with disabilities can fully participate in the free pre-school years.

Some 18 new posts are to be created to offer help and support to children, parents and childcare providers.

Minister Katherine Zappone says the scheme is hugely beneficial for children with disabilities.

"They do feel that they're part of what's going on, that they are being welcomed," she said.

"I've had one of the parents come up to me to say that from the very moment her child walked into that pre-school service, with the support of this model and people additionally trained to know how to include the child into the setting that they just never looked back," she said.

"And they're absolutely taking off in terms of their development and learning."