Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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626. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children currently sponsored under the national childcare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42927/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare for parents. A component of the Scheme is a Sponsorship referral which makes special provision for vulnerable children.

The NCS Sponsorship arrangement allows designated bodies to refer children to the Scheme where childcare is needed on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. Where a referral is made by a Sponsor body, the family will automatically qualify for a subsidy without having to satisfy the Scheme’s eligibility, income or enhanced hours requirements. The Scheme will pay the full cost of the childcare for families referred to the Scheme by a Sponsor Body.

Year-to-date, a total of 209,919 unique children have benefitted from an NCS subsidy. Of these, a total of 7,774 children have received NCS Sponsorship. Year-to-date, this represents an increase in the number of children benefiting from Sponsorship by 16% when compared to the same period in 2023.

There are five designated Sponsorship bodies that may refer a child under Section 14 of the Childcare Support Act 2018. A further breakdown of children currently benefitting from NCS Sponsorship according to these Sponsorship bodies is as follows:

Finally, it may be of interest to note that as of September 2024, the hourly rates for NCS Sponsorship have been increased. Sponsored children will now receive a rate of €5.30, or €5.87, depending on their age and educational stage.

Further details on the Scheme, including Sponsorship, may be found on www.ncs.gov.ie.