Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The NCS provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of childcare and, to support better outcomes for children. 

The NCS entails a fundamental shift away from subsidies grounded in social protection entitlements, and towards a comprehensive and progressive system of universal and income-based subsidies. The NCS is designed to be flexible, allowing income thresholds, maximum hours and subsidy rates to be adjusted as more investment becomes available.

Following Budget 2022, the universal subsidy will be made available to all families with children up to the age of 15 from September 2022. Parents do not have to undergo an assessment to avail of this subsidy. The universal subsidy provides €0.50 cent per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place up to a maximum of 45 hours a week, this equates to a subsidy of €22.50 to all eligible families per week.

In the case of a child attending eligible afterschool care for 30 hours a week, that child will be entitled to a subsidy of €0.50 cent an hour to the value of €15 per week.