Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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91. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe in which she intends to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21004/25]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I wish to ask the Minister about the cost of childcare, which remains very high for a lot of parents and families. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the cost of childcare. How does the Minister intend to go about this and does she have a timeframe in mind for reducing the costs for families?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Investment in early learning and childcare is now at an unprecedented level, with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025 clearly demonstrating the Government’s commitment in this area. As well as addressing affordability, this investment has served to improve accessibility, availability and the quality of provision. The new programme for Government provides the impetus to go further and to deliver more high-quality early learning and childcare places at a cost that is affordable to families. It will build on the considerable work done to date, including the early childhood care and education programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge and enjoys participation rates of 96% each year, and the national childcare scheme, which provides subsidies, both universal and targeted, to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and childcare.

The national childcare scheme has already seen the extension of the universal subsidy to all children under the age of 15 and two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy in recent years. The minimum subsidy is now worth €96.20 per child per week for 45 hours of early learning and childcare. The fee management system introduced through core funding ensures that the investment in affordability is not unnecessarily absorbed by fee increases or uncapped fees.

The programme for Government commits to continuing to improve affordability and to reach the €200 per month cap within the lifetime of the Government. In addition, a forward planning model - which I have already referred to - is in development . This will be central to my Department's plans to achieve the policy goals to build an affordable, high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare system, with State-led facilities adding capacity. Officials are currently developing a mapping tool, using administrative data on schemes and population location, to identify areas where supply and demand are mismatched and are greatest. Very importantly, with regard to the voices of parents an Ipsos poll to parents will also inform future planning. This will enable the State to step in where it is necessary.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister envisage investing more in the national childcare scheme to bring down the costs directly for parents? This is what Sinn Féin had proposed with our €10 per day plan, which is around €200 per month. This is using what is there with the current mechanism as the quickest way to bring down the costs of childcare. While the Government repeatedly tells us that the costs of childcare have halved there are families still paying well over €1,000 a month for childcare. Parents are really struggling to cover the costs.

Accessibility was mentioned. Of course accessibility is just as important as affordability because it is fine if one can afford it, but one must be able to access it in the first place. Pobal has told us that 30,000 children are on waiting lists for childcare places, and many of these places just do not exist. We need to look at quick ways we can bring costs down and quick ways to grow the numbers of places available. Is it through the national childcare scheme that the Minister would look to reduce those costs, as she has done to date?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is 100% correct. Accessibility is hugely important. If we do not have sufficient places available to parents then it is a huge burden. We are currently looking at seeking the information on where there is a need for the service and where the service is not available locally. The Government is currently looking at ways the State can step in at that point to provide those additional places. Those places would enhance what is already being provided by private providers but it would provide additionality led by the State.

The Deputy asked about the money and resources.

Currently, 92% of providers are in the core funding mechanism or process. That has helped to reduce costs for parents. On average, it is a substantial reduction for parents. We have more than 4,400 providers in the system at present.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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In our own proposal on the €200 per month, we looked at using the national childcare scheme and expanding it to childminders. That would really assist in building capacity in the sector because for many parents, the choice is no longer there. If they want to get the subsidy and need help in affording childcare, they have to look to the formal setting whereas in rural areas in particular, a local childminder might actually suit people, especially those doing shift work. We should look to expand the NCS to childminders. It would give greater choice to parents and would improve and build capacity, which is really badly needed.

I asked the Minister's predecessor about some really good ideas Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland had about using existing buildings as community hubs, which would include a childcare element. There are some really good examples. There is one in Donegal. There are after-school activities, a crèche, music and sports all under one roof. Things like that should be looked at.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I agree that we should look at the widest offering already available within communities. We also have work to do regarding new housing developments where provision should be made for childcare facilities. That is being asked for but it is not always provided. In some areas, it works really well but, to be honest, it does not work well in other areas. A significant body of work needs to be done there. We are engaging with the Department of housing in that regard. The Deputy is right. Wherever there is an opportunity to use a building in an area to provide an integrated service, I can see value in doing so.

Childminders now all have an opportunity to register and become part of the system. That is important. We encourage childminders to do just that. I come from a rural constituency myself so I absolutely understand the value and importance of childminders.