Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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552. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department plans to increase both the universal and means-tested subsidises available under the national childcare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21691/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and allow children to access Early Learning and School Age Childcare. The Scheme aims to improve outcomes for children, reduce poverty, facilitate labour activation, and tangibly reduce the cost of ELC and SAC for tens of thousands of families. The NCS has been substantially expanded in recent months to further reduce the cost of childcare for families.

• from May 2022, the NCS no longer deducts hours spent in pre-school, or school, from NCS awards. This means that parents may use their full awarded subsidised NCS hours – benefiting in particular children from low income families.
• In September 2022, the NCS Universal subsidy was extended to all children under 15 years of age.
• Additional funding of €121 million has been allocated to the NCS from January 2023 so all families accessing registered early learning and childcare now receive a minimum hourly NCS subsidy of €1.40 off the cost of early learning and childcare, an increase of 90c per hour.