Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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712. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the practice of early years facilities charging prospective parents a non-refundable administrative fee in circumstances (details supplied); if the practice is permissible under the core funding agreement; and if she will make a statement on the need to transition childcare to being universally provided and accessible. [33736/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. This includes reviewing deposit rules across each early learning and childcare scheme.

Under Core Funding, in which over 92% of the sector participate, providers agree that all deposits relating to the 2024/2025 Programme Year must be returned to the parent/ guardian once the child’s registration is approved on the Hive or within four weeks of the child taking up the place, whichever is sooner. Additionally they must agree that they will not charge any non-refundable deposits (including administration/registration fees/waiting list fees, etc.) to parents/guardians in respect of their early learning and childcare service for which the deposit was paid.

In instances where a child does not take up a place for which a deposit was paid, there is no onus on a provider, under Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) and Core Funding rules, to return the deposit to the parent/guardian.

In relation to deposits for ECCE, as per the rules governing the ECCE programme an Early Learning and Care service provider may charge a refundable booking deposit to hold an ECCE place for a child. The maximum deposit a provider may charge is equivalent to four weeks’ ECCE payment.

The ECCE deposit must be returned in full to the parent/guardian once the child’s registration is approved by Pobal.

The rationale for allowing ECCE providers to charge an ECCE deposit is to deter parents from putting their child’s name down with multiple ECCE providers. If the option to collect a deposit is removed there is a risk of children not turning up when the ECCE programme begins, other children not being offered that place and/or providers not being able to meet minimum numbers requirement for ECCE

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) does not stipulate any rules regarding deposits except in relation to sponsored children, where it is not permitted to charge deposits.

Deposits in these instances are subject to a local agreement between the provider and the parent/guardian.

For the 2025/2026 Programme Year, there will be no changes to the Deposit Rules under Core Funding, and deposits must be returned to the parent/guardian once the child’s registration is approved on the Early Years Hive or within four weeks of the child taking up the place, whichever is sooner.

My Department are committed to ongoing engagement on this matter and will consider wider changes to deposit rules for the 2026/2027 programme year.

The new Programme for Government commits to review and increase Core Funding, ensure that providers’ fees are open, transparent and equitable and readily available to parents.

An evaluation of the first year of Core Funding and the development of an evaluation framework for Core Funding is currently underway. This project will examine the early implementation of Core Funding and make recommendations for future evaluations of the grant. Findings from the project are expected in Quarter 4 2025.

Additionally, my Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCC), which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 CCCs across the country are in a position to assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.

Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local CCC for assistance.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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713. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently address and clarify the recent decision to decline reduced ratio funding to a school (details supplied) for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33770/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the benefits of quality early learning and care in any mainstream service participating in ECCE. AIM resources are allocated based on a child’s individual needs.

Pobal administers the AIM programme on behalf of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and I understand they have been in direct contact with the service provider regarding this issue.