Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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25. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to implementing Sinn Féin's €10 a day childcare affordability plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38968/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I launched Together For Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare in September 2022. A key objective of this model is to make early learning and childcare more affordable.

Through Together for Better, my Department provides a number of schemes which offset the cost of early learning and childcare to families.

The ECCE programme, which provides two years of preschool without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96% each year. Over 70% of families on low income report that they would not be able to send their child to preschool without this programme.

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) complements the ECCE programme, providing subsidies – both universal and targeted - to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and childcare.

Since January 2023 the minimum subsidy has been progressively increased to €2.14 per hour – the cumulative reduction in out of pocket costs is estimated to reach 50% on average through these changes.

Record numbers of children and their families are now benefiting from the NCS. Over 200,000 children have benefited from an NCS subsidy this year so far.

From 30 September, children in childminding settings will be added to this cohort of beneficiaries, following changes to the childminder Tusla registration requirements.

Finally, the fee freeze in place in early learning and childcare services as a result of the Core Funding scheme and the new cap on fees introduced for new services entering Core Funding this year ensures that the investment in NCS has resulted in real change for parents and not been absorbed by fee increases.

Through these measures I am committed to reducing the amount parents are required to contribute to their early learning and childcare costs while continuing to improve pay and conditions for educators and practitioners, maintaining a stable sector and making best use of public monies to improve affordability, accessibility and quality.