Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We do not yet know or fully understand the impact of the funding model that has just been put in place under the national childcare scheme. There is a universal entitlement as well as a legal financial entitlement to a subsidy for childcare costs that is means-tested and based on the age of the child and how long the child will be in childcare. That is why I cannot believe that the people to whom the Deputy refers are only entitled to a subsidy of €20.

On the issue of fees, he is right to be exercised given the area he represents. I appreciate and understand that south Dublin has the highest childcare costs. However, under the scheme, it is not necessarily the case that costs or fees will increase. We will continue to monitor that. The expert group to which I referred is currently looking at ways in which we can link fee increases to improvements in quality. I have a list of vacant childcare places in Deputy Boyd Barrett's constituency. For children up to one year old, there are 13 vacant places; for children between one and two years of age, there are 14 places; while for children between two and three, there are 16 vacant places. This list, dated June 2019, shows that there are places available in his constituency. However, given the fact that he represents people from the area with the highest costs, I will meet the group of parents to whom he refers.

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