Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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117. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the ECCE capitation grant by 15% with effect from 1 January 2025. [26479/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The ECCE scheme is a universal programme which provides 2 years of free preschool to children in the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. My Department funds private early learning and care service providers to provide the ECCE programme at a standard rate of €69 per week per child attending the ECCE programme.

I would note that further funding is available for childcare services through the Core Funding scheme. Through ECCE and Core Funding combined, services receive a minimum of €79.20 per child per week in capitation and a maximum of €95.85, with additional funding awarded for services employing graduate lead educators and graduate managers.

In calculating the full year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 15%, officials in my Department used the total budget allocation for the ECCE scheme for 2024 which is €256 million. Using this allocation the estimated full year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 15% would be €384m. This estimate assumes zero growth in ECCE registrations for 2025.