Written answers

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Early Childhood Care and Education

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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360. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of providing an additional €10,000 to every naíonra in the State. [28001/25]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Naíonra is not a term currently used as part of data collection within the early learning and childcare sector. Instead, data is collected under the following categories in the Annual Early Years Sector Profile (AEYSP): Wholly Irish-medium; Mixed (part Irish-medium); English-medium with some use of Irish and Wholly English-medium.

The table below is the most recent data the Department holds on these categories based on returns from the AEYSP 2023/2024. (Note 97 services did not respond to the question).

Category Gaeltacht Outside Gaeltacht TOTAL
Wholly Irish-medium 74 105 179
Mixed (part Irish-medium) 14 133 147
English-medium with some use of Irish 28 1,519 1,547
Wholly English-medium 8 2,729 2,737
Based on the data above, providing an additional €10,000 to 179 wholly Irish-Medium facilities would cost the State €1.79m.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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361. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the first- and full-year cost of funding a year free of charge at an Irish-medium naíonra for every pre-school-aged child living in the Gaeltacht currently availing of a pre-school service funded under the ECCE scheme. [28006/25]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has requested the first and full year cost of funding a year of preschool at an Irish-medium naíonra for every pre-school-aged child living in the Gaeltacht currently availing of a pre-school service funded under the ECCE Programme year.

Data from Census 2022 indicates that there were 2,342 children aged 3-4 living in a Gaeltacht area. For simplicity it is assumed that children aged 5 and over have already started school. Applying the 96% national uptake rate among the eligible cohort for the ECCE Programme provides an estimated total of 2,248 attending the ECCE Programme in Gaeltacht areas as of Census 2022.

For the purpose of these calculations it was assumed that all of these children are availing of 45 hours of childcare per week during the ECCE term (38 weeks per year). It was also assumed that these children attend the ECCE Programme for 15 hours per week and are in receipt of the NCS universal subsidy of €2.14 per hour for the remaining 30 hours per week of full time care. It is assumed that all families are paying for their childcare at a rate of €190 per week which is the the median weekly fee for early learning and childcare across the country, as per the Annual Early Years Sector Profile (2023/24).

Taking this data, it was estimated that the requested change would cost €2,329.40 for an individual child to receive a year of preschool, free of charge. The total first year cost (Sept- Dec) was estimated at €1.74m while the full year cost was estimated to be €5.26m.

These estimates come with some important caveats. Fee levels can vary significantly across the country and depend on parent’s usage, because of this estimates must be made based on a median childcare fee.

Finally, these costings are made on the basis of a static system; that is, the model assumes that the level of usage of childcare in the Gaeltacht remains static for this age group. Any changes to subsidies may create a change in behaviours in families, for example, women returning to the workforce and using formal early learning and childcare for the first time.

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