Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Significantly fewer childcare services have closed at this time this year than in any of the previous years Deputy Tóibín has cited. That is because of the huge investment the State has put in. It was €259 million in the first year of core funding. Now, as we move to the second year of core funding, there is an additional €28 million. This 11% increase in core funding in year 2 is designed to recognise administrative costs and non-staff overheads and particularly recognising the additional challenges that small sessional services face there is an additional €7 million specifically for them. We have listened to the sector, heard its concerns and we have designed something specifically for those smaller sessional services as part of how that €28 million has been allocated. To obtain that funding, to be part of core funding, what we ask is the fee freeze which allows parents to benefit from the increase in the national childcare scheme.

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