Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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29. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration has been given to increasing financial assistance for parents who are sending their children to creches, particularly given the rising costs of early childhood education. [37653/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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A key objective of my Department to reduce the cost of childcare for parents to an affordable level.

Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels with public funding exceeding €1.1 billion, clearly demonstrating Government commitment to this objective.

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 - with the increase in the minimum NCS subsidy to €1.40 per hour – out of pocket costs to families have fallen by 25% on average. As of this September, the minimum subsidy was increased again to €2.14 per hour – the cumulative reduction in out of pocket is estimated to reach 50% on average.

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.

Finally, the fee freeze in place in 95% of early learning and childcare services as a result of the Core Funding scheme ensures that the investment in NCS has resulted in real change for parents and not been absorbed by fee increases.

The NCS allows the flexible allocation of subsidies to families where the highest subsidies are provided to families that need it most. The NCS is designed to allow for rapid changes to subsidies, income thresholds and other criteria as Government decisions are made and Exchequer funding becomes available.