Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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285. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the percentage increase and-or decrease in NCS registrations compared since September 2020 to 2019. [41045/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The National Childcare Scheme commenced in November 2019. There is no comparable data as yet for the NCS to September 2019, and as such it is not possible yet to compare the NCS year on year. It should also be noted that the NCS was suspended from April to June while the Department established emergency schemes to support and sustain the Early Learning Care and School Aged Childcare sector in conjunction with the wider Government schemes such as the Revenue operated Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme during the pandemic

It is possible to show the uptake on the NCS since launch at particular points in time, as follows:

At the end of February, prior to the suspension of the NCS in March, there were 13,065 children registered with the NCS. Up to end of August, following the reopening of childcare services there were 22,500 registered children in receipt of a subsidy through the NCS. Up to the 23^rdNov 2020 there are 35,518 registered children in receipt of a subsidy through the NCS. The increase from February to November is approx. 170%.