Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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335. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his future plans are to ensure affordability of childcare in Ireland given that many Irish families are struggling to meet the high cost of childcare, with many having to choose to keep one parent out of employment in order to save on these costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5560/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Significant investment is being made to support parents with the costs of early learning and childcare. The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is currently supporting more than 55,000 families to offset these costs, with a recent review of the NCS revealing that:

- 38% of families reported that half or more of their early learning and childcare costs were covered by the NCS;

- 56% reported that they had more money to spend; and

- 28% reported that they were working more (with 8% reporting they would not be in work without the NCS).

I recognise however that the burden on some families remains high and we need to do more to ensure affordability and reduce the impact that this might have on choices about employment.

The recommendations of an Expert Group to develop a new funding model for early learning and childcare were adopted by Government in December. This marks a new departure in State funding of the sector and is a significant step towards ensuring high-quality, affordable, sustainable and accessible services.

The Expert Group recommended a number of developments to the NCS. The recommendations include extending the universal subsidy to all children under 15 which was announced in Budget 2022. The report also recommends increasing the value of the universal NCS subsidy and revising the approach to calculating subsidies for families with multiple children.

The new funding model also recommends a new approach to fee management. This will start with a requirement for providers to maintain fees at or below September 2021 levels to access a new funding schemes in 2022.

The introduction of this requirement (with the approach to fee management to be developed over time) means that parents will not be faced with fee increases, and the full affordability effects of the NCS, the NCS reform announced in Budget 2022 and indeed any reforms to the NCS in future Budgets can be fully realised.