Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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136. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 2 July 2025, if she is aware of concerns from childcare providers about how complex and difficult the Core Funding Scheme can be to use; if she will review the scheme to make it more workable and accessible for providers of all sizes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38038/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Prior to each year of Core Funding commencing, officials in my Department review the application system and make improvements to the system where necessary based on feedback from the sector about using the Core Funding Application system. Any enhancements made to the system are made with a view to making the system as user friendly as possible for providers in the sector.

A significant improvement to the system was the introduction of the cloning system whereby providers can duplicate their Core Funding application from the previous year. This speeds up the application process and was introduced to reduce the administrative burden on providers.

For the 2025/2026 programme year, over 90% of applications submitted have benefitted from this system improvement. Additionally, the application system has been updated to allow the cloning of fee tables, further reducing the input required by providers when there has been no changes to the services offering.

The Department is committed to continuously improving the Core Funding Scheme. Any changes made to the scheme will be reflected in the Core Funding Contract.

To assist providers in understanding the scheme, the development of a rules document has always been a focus for the Department.

This document is now enclosed within the contract. The rules document provides clarity on the various aspects of Core Funding such as payment rules, reporting requirements and the Core Funding allocation. Each year, Department officials update the rules based on the queries received from providers, with the intention of making the scheme clearer and more user friendly.

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.

This project is being undertaken by Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service or IGEES policy analysts working in the Research and Evaluation Unit of my Department.

IGEES is an integrated cross-government service established in 2012 with the objective of enhancing the role of economics and value for money analysis in public policy making. It is part of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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137. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 2 July 2025, if the upcoming review of the National Childcare Subsidy will look at how the scheme works for families using part-time or flexible childcare; if she will address concerns that the current setup may penalise parents who want to spend more time with their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38039/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Many families use the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. Under the Scheme, subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, with a maximum number of weekly hours for which the subsidy applies.

The scheme enables parents and services to agree on subsidised sessional, part time or full time care arrangements as required. Discussion and agreement between parents and providers on the provision of childcare hours that suit individual families' needs, are a matter for parents and providers. A parent may sometimes collect their child earlier than usual. It is important to note that this occasional change in attendance does not affect the subsidy received.

The NCS is designed to be flexible, recognising that children’s attendance may vary from week to week. Only if a child consistently attends fewer than their agreed hours for a consecutive 12-week period will the subsidy be reviewed. Specifically, if under-attendance is recorded for 8 weeks in a row, a warning will be issued. If the child then resumes full attendance for a week, no changes are made. However, if under-attendance continues for another 4 weeks, the award will be adjusted to reflect the average number of hours attended over the 12-week period.

This system ensures public funds are used efficiently while recognising the real-life circumstances of families.

As previously noted, my Department will soon begin an evaluation of the National Childcare Scheme. The evaluation will review how the Scheme has performed to date and identify potential enhancements that could be made.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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138. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 2 July 2025, if she will consider short-term supports for working parents of children under one year old, given the current shortage of childcare places for infants; if she will look at options such as extended paid maternity leave or extended parental leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38040/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Significant improvements have been made in the entitlements to both paid and unpaid leaves in recent years, including by extending paid parent's leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their baby during their earliest years.

First 5, the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, committed to build incrementally over the course of the Strategy so that by 2028 parents in Ireland will be supported to look after their babies at home for the whole of their first year through a combination of paid family leave schemes. Measures in the First 5 Implementation Plan (2023-2025) included increasing Parent’s Leave and Benefit for both fathers and mothers from seven to nine weeks in August 2024. The combined durations of Maternity, Paternity and Parent’s Leave and Benefit now equate to 46 weeks’ paid leave for a two-parent family.

Under the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis’.

The Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 also raised the maximum age limit of the eligible child for which parental leave can be taken from 8 years to 12 years. Where both parents work for the same employer and the employer agrees, one parent can transfer 14 weeks of their parental leave entitlement to the other parent. It should be noted that the legislation only sets out the minimum entitlement to parental leave. Depending on an individual’s contract of employment, they may have more extensive rights to parental leave, as employers have the option to offer more than the entitlement set out in the legislation.

Family leave provisions are kept under review to ensure that they are effective and respond to the needs of families and also mindful of the impact of the leaves on workplaces. The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to examine the possible extension of parent's leave and benefit and additional flexibilities. Presently, the next National Strategy for Women and Girls is in development and will consider ways to support working families in balancing the competing demands of family and work.