Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1552. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider the introduction of regulations around the management of waiting lists in childcare facilities including rules regarding the return of deposits when places are relinquished in a reasonable timeframe. [59335/25]

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 participates, providers agree that all deposits 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, providers 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 the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) and Core Funding rules, to return the deposit to the parent/guardian.

The Department is committed to ongoing engagement on this matter and will consider wider changes to Core Funding deposit rules for the 2026/2027 programme year. These considerations will include a review of the restrictions around deposits.

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.

I would like to note that the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which is administered by Pobal on the Department’s behalf, has comprehensive rules relating to deposits.

Services may not, under any circumstances, extract ECCE fees from parents/guardians including non-refundable and optional extra deposits.

ECCE approved providers must give an accurate description and the total cost of a deposit requested on its Fee Table. The maximum deposit a provider may charge is equivalent to 4 weeks ECCE payment. This must appear on the Fee Table. The full ECCE deposit must be returned to the Parent/Guardian once the child’s registration has been approved on the EY HIVE. If a service is holding a legacy deposit from when the child first started attending the service that exceeds 4 times the weekly capitation amount for a child, €276 of that deposit must be returned to the Parent/Guardian once the child’s ECCE registration has been approved on the EY HIVE. An ECCE Approved Provider must retain all financial records relating to deposits from parents/guardians and evidence of return.

Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City or County Childcare Committee for assistance.