Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1229. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe for the review of the national childcare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41050/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Section 26 of the Childcare Support Act 2018 provides for a review of the operation of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) to commence 12 months after the first payment of subsidies under the scheme. The 12 month review is an independent assessment of the implementation and impacts of NCS during its first year of operation.

The fundamental purpose for the review is to provide key data and information to support the future development of the NCS. The review will provide a basis for the DCEDIY to consider how effectively the NCS is operating and whether it is meeting the objectives which are meaningfully measurable within the first year. These objectives are to:

- Tangibly reduce the cost of early learning and childcare for tens of thousands of families.

- Establish a sustainable platform for investment in the Irish early learning and childcare sector for decades to come.

Section 26 of that Act states that the Minister will provide a report "in writing to each House of the Oireachtas of his or her findings and conclusions resulting from the review".  It is also intended that the report will be published. The likely timeframe for publication is end 2021.