Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Childcare Services

Photo of Sorca ClarkeSorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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1156. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures Government is taking to support single mothers in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities, especially in relation to affordable childcare and social supports. [46495/24]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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There are a number of measures in place to support single parents. Queries regarding matters under the remit Departments can be directed to those Departments.

Firstly in 2024, I announced that from 1 August, parents will be able to avail of 9 weeks paid Parent’s Leave and Benefit. This measure means that under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit schemes, the number of weeks that parents can take time off work, with financial support from the State, increases from 7 weeks to 9 weeks. With this new measure the Government has now more than quadrupled paid parent's leave, from two weeks up to nine weeks. Budget 2025 saw further increases to rates of these payments alongside other measures to support single parents.

Regarding early learning and childcare, 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 subsidies are progressive in nature. All families can receive a universal subsidy, but the highest subsides are provided to families with the lowest levels of income through an income assessment process.

The NCS is designed to fit around the needs of working families and maximise the reach and effectiveness of funding. This design allows the parents to receive a subsidy for the hours that they actually require. The number of hours can also be altered week to week, for example allowing more flexibility around the working hours of single parents.

Additionally, the NCS sponsorship arrangement allows designated bodies to refer children for free access to early learning and childcare on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds.

A review of the National Childcare Scheme published in December 2021 found that, amongst family types, single parents, particularly working single parents, were most likely to report that the NCS positively impacted their family finances.

OECD data shows that the NCS has been effective in reducing the cost of childcare for single parent families. In 2018 prior to the introduction of NCS lone parents earning the minimum wage spent 53% of their net income on childcare. By 2023, early learning and childcare costs in Ireland fell to 6% of their net income for lone parents earning minimum wage. These figures do not account for the most recent enhancements to the NCS made in September 2024 which increased the NCS universal subsidy from €1.40 per hour to €2.14.

This year, my Department will tender for an evaluation of the NCS with a view to identifying further enhancements that can be made to the Scheme. Part of the evaluation will examine how the NCS can better support low income and single parent households.

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