Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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534. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children supported by income-assessed childcare subsidies, by county, in 2020 to 2024, by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49792/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial supports to parents to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. The Scheme has undergone a number of enhancements in recent years to further improve affordability for parents. These include the extension of the universal subsidy to all children under 15 and two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy, which is now worth €2.14 per hour. These enhancements have helped to result in a positive growth in the number of children benefitting from NCS subsidies.

The number of unique children who benefitted from an Income-Assessed subsidy for the specified years, according to county, is detailed in the following table:

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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535. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children supported by universal childcare subsidies, by county in 2020 to 2024, by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49793/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial supports to parents to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. The Scheme has undergone a number of enhancements in recent years to further improve affordability for parents. These include the extension of the Universal subsidy to all children under 15 and two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy, which is now worth €2.14 per hour.

These enhancements have helped to result in a positive growth in the number of children benefitting from NCS subsidies. In particular, this is demonstrable by the year-on-year growth in the number of unique children benefitting from Universal subsidies.

The number of unique children who benefitted from a Universal subsidy for the specified years, according to county, is detailed in the following table:

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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536. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of income-assessed childcare subsidies, in 2020 to 2024, by year. [49794/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial supports to parents to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. The NCS is based on the principle of progressive universalism and has regard to the best interests of children - meaning that those on the lowest incomes will receive the highest rates. Rates awarded will vary from €2.14 per hour, up to a maximum of €5.10 per hour - depending on the age of the child and the family's reckonable income.

The total value of all NCS income-assessed closed and confirmed claims, for years 2020 to 2024, by year is as follows:

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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537. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average payment under income-assessed childcare, for 2020 to 2024, by year. [49795/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial supports to parents to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. The NCS is based on the principle of progressive universalism and has regard to the best interests of children - meaning that those on the lowest incomes will receive the highest rates. Rates awarded will vary from €2.14 per hour, up to a maximum of €5.10 per hour - depending on the age of the child and the family's reckonable income.

In considering the question, it is important to note that the hourly subsidy awarded to each family under the income-assessed application is dependent on the family's individual circumstances. Rates awarded will depend on a number of factors including the age of the child, the income of the household and the number of children in the family. This variability in family claims should be borne in mind when considering the below.

The below table provides data on the average rate awarded for income-assessed applications for 2020 to 2024, by year.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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538. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of applications granted under the recent €25 million building blocks grant scheme, including appeals; if the appeal process has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49796/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In 2025, €25m in voted expenditure was made available for the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. The Building Blocks Extension Grant scheme allows for Core Funding Partner Services to extend their existing premises or, in the case of community services, to construct or purchase new premises.

50 projects were shortlisted to be funded and will deliver up to 1,500 additional new full time places for 1-3 year olds.

Two appeals were received by my Department, both on the grounds of their eligibility to apply. One of these appeals was upheld and as such progressed to the legal stage of the process. The second service was unsuccessful in its appeal.

Following on from the appeals process, the total value of the applications amounted to €23.8 million.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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539. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a review has taken place on the application process for the building block scheme considering the high number of unsuccessful or ineligible applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49797/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January 2025 and a total of 78 applications were received from across the country. 50 of these applicants were successful in progression to the next stage of the process and a currently finalising the legal formalities associated with the scheme.

Applicants were scored across three criteria (quality, readiness and evidence of need) with a maximum score of 1500 and a minimum requirement of 760 to progress to the next stage. It was a rigorous and comprehensive eligibility assessment and appraisal as is appropriate and necessary in making decisions about significant allocation of public capital investment.

In planning ahead for the capital programme to be funded through the revised National Development plan 2026-30, the experience of various aspects of the Building Blocks scheme have been incorporated, including feedback received from services and County Childcare Committees, and will inform the design of any potential future scheme.

As part of the recent NDP review, the allocation for this Department has increased to €795 million over the next five years. This increased funding will be used in part to provide additional early learning and childcare places through future capital programmes, including potentially operating a further scheme similar to Building Blocks to support the expansion of provision by existing operators, as well as implementing my Departments commitment to capital investment in State-owned facilities. All aspects of the future capital programme are currently being considered.