I thank the Deputy. He will be aware that the maximum fee caps were extended to all partner services in core funding this month. The introduction of fee caps is an important step towards the reduction of parental fees to €200 per month over the lifetime of this Government. While the fee caps were introduced for new services last year, they now cover all services that are in core funding. In addition, the fee caps are set at a lower level than before. The maximum fee for a full-day place of between 40 and 50 hours per week, which is the most common full-day care service, is €295 per week before State subsidies under the national childcare scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted. For those on the minimum level of subsidy, this will bring their out-of-pocket costs down to less than €200 per week with those on income-assessed subsidies paying less again. While this is an important development for those paying the highest fees, with a median fee of €200 per week nationally, or just €100 after the minimum subsidies are deducted, the reality is many families pay less than this figure. This latest measure builds on a range of supports already in place. The ECCE programme provides two years of preschool without charge and has participation rates of 96% to 97%. More than 70% of families say that if it were not a free service, they would never have been able to access it. The national childcare scheme complements the ECCE programme, giving universal and targeted subsidies to reduce costs for parents. Recent improvements include the extension of the universal subsidy to children under 15 and two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy, now worth €96.30 per week for 45 hours. Almost 220,000 children benefited from a subsidy in 2024. Since last September, children in childminding settings can also benefit from these subsidies. The fee management system introduced through core funding has made sure the investment in affordability is not absorbed by unnecessary fee increases. Core funding has enjoyed high participation rates to date. Currently, the rate of uptake for the upcoming year is 90%.
Sentiment score: 0.17
We are already at 90% of providers having joined core funding, which is 5% ahead of where we were at this time last year. The opportunity to engage in core funding remains open and services can sign up to the fourth year of the scheme at any point in the year. It is significant to be able to say that at this stage of the year we have reached 90%. We are in an Estimates period and will in the next couple of weeks have the budget. I am committed to seeking to do even more to provide resources, notwithstanding, as the Deputy said, the significant resources provided for in terms of core funding. The Deputy referred to services closing. Every year some services will close while new services will open. That is the reality of it but 2024 saw a net increase of 226 services.
Sentiment score: 0.23
There is, as the Deputy conceded, unprecedented Government funding going into the sector. If a provider steps out at any point, that provider can return. The Department has a sustainability fund. If a provider is of the view it is not viable to continue or is having particular sustainability issues, it can in the first instance engage with the city and county childcare committees and it can engage with the Department on the sustainability fund. The purpose is to ensure there is a free line of communication between all concerned and that these services are sustainable. On areas of significant demand, which I have already discussed with other Deputies, we are looking at areas across the country via the forward planning unit we have. Where private providers are not in a position to provide, Government will seek to step in through State-led facilities.
Sentiment score: 0.20
The 2001 planning guidelines for local authorities on early learning and childcare settings were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The guidelines are intended to ensure a consistent approach to the treatment of planning applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early learning and childcare provision. The programme for Government commits to reviewing the 2001 childcare facilities guidelines for planning authorities to ensure early learning and childcare spaces are provided and put to use for the purpose they were intended. The Planning and Development Act 2024 and the publication of the national planning framework now provide a strong basis from which to pursue this work. An early learning and childcare planning matters working group, with officials from my Department and the Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Education and Youth was established in 2024 and has met on a number of occasions in 2024 and 2025. In addition, meetings have been held over summer of this year with members of the working group and officials from different local authorities who were nominated by the County and City Management Association planning and land use committee. This engagement with nominated planners was effective in identifying a number of important considerations for the review and is now informing a wider engagement with local authorities. These issues include ensuring that buildings developed on foot of the guidelines meet the needs of the local population and are fit for purpose, and balancing the need to ensure sufficient provision for children and families, regardless of the size or housing type of the development, with ensuring that buildings are effectively operated as intended. In parallel, planning is under way to ensure the views of other stakeholders who will have an interest in the revised guidelines are catered for. I have engaged with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to discuss how best to support and inform the drafting of revised guidelines under the new planning and development Act. I will be meeting him and his officials again shortly. The approach more widely to ensuring appropriate levels of early learning and childcare supply is core to the work of my Department and will be further articulated in the context of the action plan to build an affordable, high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare system.
Sentiment score: 0.45
The Deputy and I have discussed this at length. It is my strong view that the notion of 75 homes and providing 20 childcare places is not fit for purpose. We have also discussed that there are many units across the country that were built-for-purpose childcare but either went for a change of use or were certainly not used for the purpose for which they were intended. As the Deputy referenced forward planning, the forward planning unit of my Department, which is up and running, will be a significant tool to identify where there are specific issues. We rely on the laser-like commitment of local authorities in this regard. To ensure that we have the appropriate guidelines in place a series of meetings took place over the summer. I acknowledge the engagement we have had with city and county managers and the specific work being done with nominated planners and wider planners to ensure that we have a system that is fit for purpose and will inform the work we are doing. I acknowledge the engagement of the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, and indeed, my ongoing engagement with him. Another meeting is scheduled shortly.
Sentiment score: 0.36
The entire purpose is to ensure that we can maintain the services that we have, and indeed, provide for new services to meet the demands that are out there. The Deputy will have to concede that the Government is the most significant contributor at this point in time to this sector. The investment from the Government is quite phenomenal but equally so, it is the objective of the Government where necessary for it to step in with the provision of State-led facilities, to do that going forward and to support existing providers to be sustainable going forward. I am not familiar with the case the Deputy raised. I am happy for that case to be examined. However, there is a sustainability fund within the Department. There is a fee adjustment in the review, but it does take into account what happens throughout the county. The purpose of the action plan is to ensure that it focuses on all aspects of delivering or building an affordable, high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare system. The Government is committed to publishing that.
Sentiment score: 0.27
The establishment of a child death review mechanism, while very welcome, is not in the remit of the Department of children. As the Ombudsman for Children’s recent child death review report outlined, the majority of deaths take place in medical settings, which the Deputy will appreciate is outside of the scope of the Department. It is important to state that. I welcomed the report entitled Child Death Review: The Case for a National Statutory Review Mechanism for the Deaths of Children in Ireland. I am conscious that the data outlined in the report also highlights that deaths of children in care are only a small subset of the overall number of child deaths occurring in the State. In that regard, the Department has a limited overall input in this respect. However, I assure the Deputy that the Department and I will proactively engage with the nominated lead Department responsible for the delivery of such a mechanism over the lifetime of this Government. The death of a child in care or known to State services, whether at home, in care or aftercare, is a tragic event and, indeed, the death of a child in any circumstance is a tragic event, but it deeply affects family, friends, carers and staff connected to the child and local communities. Specifically in relation to a child in care, we are fortunate to have in place the national review panel, NRP, which conducts reviews of child death and serious incidents where the child is in care or is known to Tusla. The NRP is independent in the performance of its functions, making findings of fact and producing reports that are objective and independent of Tusla. The NRP produces reports that are factually based and identify points of learning to improve services provided to children and families. I am conscious that since its establishment the NRP has played a critical role in identifying systemic issues, obstacles to good practice and areas for learning to improve services. Tusla has advised that out of the 133 reports that the NRP has produced to date, 90 reports or executive summaries have been published and are available on its website. I can inform the Deputy that in instances where the NRP makes recommendations which fall outside the remit of both my Department and Tusla, officials within my Department ensure that these recommendations are brought to the attention of the appropriate Department.
Sentiment score: 0.25
It is a commitment in the programme for Government and therefore there is agreement across the Government. I was party to the negotiation of that programme for Government so I am very committed to that initiative. I believe it is hugely important. On the matter of full disclosure, I have also met the Ombudsman for Children and was happy to do so. The lead Department has not yet been determined by the Government. My understanding is it will be determined in the next short while. There are a number of engagements related to that matter and finding the appropriate Department. In terms of the Department of children there is already the very specific review around the national review panel for children who are in the care of the State or known to Tusla, but the vast majority of children's deaths are recorded in medical settings, so it is not clear cut. It does demand that there be a cross-departmental look at this matter and that is ongoing.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I reiterate, for the purpose of accuracy, that the national review panel is entirely independent, and that is right and proper. There should be no interference with its work. It is entirely independent in its functions, making findings of fact and producing reports that are objective and independent of Tusla or anyone else. That is important. I point out, and it is important this is stated accurately, that at least 90 of the national review panel's reports or executive summaries have been published and are available on Tusla's website. It is important to allow the NRP to do its work and do it independently. I agree 100% that utmost in our minds at all times must be the feelings, emotions and experiences of the families. There has to be extraordinary humanity here. When a child dies, it is the greatest tragedy, certainly in the lives of the immediate family and wider society, so the compassion the Deputy speaks of must be a given.
Sentiment score: 0.17
I will say clearly that childminders are a hugely important part of early learning and care and school-age childcare provision, and they continue to be the option of choice for many families. I am firmly behind the regulation of childminding services, which is critical to the safeguarding of children. The childminding-specific regulations, which came into effect in September 2024, are designed to be proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work. Childminders were consulted on and involved in all aspects of the development of the regulations. Both the steering group for the national action plan for childminding and the advisory group on regulation and inspection of childminding included childminders as well as representatives of Childminding Ireland. The phased, supportive approach to registration put forward in the national action plan for childminding seeks to consult and support childminders throughout the transition, to increase recognition of the important role that childminders play, and to strengthen this vital service. A key objective of the national action plan for childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the national childcare scheme. As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the childminding services regulations, childminders are now able to apply to register with Tusla and can therefore take part in the national childcare scheme. Only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of quality of provision. Childminders now have a three-year transition period during which they are able to register with Tusla, but are not yet required to do so. They actually have until September 2027. During the transition period, supports are available for childminders at local level through the city and county childcare committees. Each city and county childcare committee employs a childminding development officer who provides a range of supports to local childminders. Supports available include a short pre-registration training course as well as the childminding development grant. The annual grant scheme provides up to €1,000 to assist both registered and unregistered childminders who are providing a childminding service in their own homes.
Sentiment score: 0.33
To be fair, we want the system to work. We want childminders to feel they can register with Tusla and that this is in their best interests as much as it is in the best interests of the children they care for as well. The work childminders do is invaluable. The Deputy is correct; it is a matter of choice for parents as well. Some parents opt for this and want this. I come from a rural constituency myself and know of the great work childminders do. I can say that, at this point, 511 childminders have completed their pre-registration training. Notwithstanding that, they have until September 2027. Like most things, we find there is a greater imperative to complete registrations closer to the timeframe. In regard to the review the Deputy referenced, rather than it taking place post September 2027, a commitment has been given that that will take place during the transition period. I think that it is only right and that we would learn as we go along. I am committed to that review taking place during the three-year transition period.
Sentiment score: 0.30
I thank Deputy Kerrane. I have no argument with what she is saying. Childminders do provide a valuable service. It is important that they would be open to the registration process too though. That is important and will be a gain not just for children but for the childminders themselves. It also allows the supports to be put in place like those we have currently such as the €1,000 support to assist both registered and unregistered childminders. It is also only right and proper that parents themselves would benefit from the national childcare scheme. That is also a support to childminders. I am very happy to engage and do so an ongoing basis with all of the different organisations. The review will be helpful because it will smooth out the immediate challenges or difficulties that childminders are finding. It is not the purpose of the system or the registration system to make things difficult; rather it is to make it accessible. It is for that reason that we specifically funded the childminding development officer with the city and county childcare committees to work with and to support childminders. If anybody has any specific difficulties, I suggest they make direct contact with that development officer in their own area.
Sentiment score: 0.25
I thank the Deputy. Improving access to quality, affordable early learning and care and school-age childcare is a key priority for the Government. Capacity in this sector is increasing. Data from the annual early years sector profile for 2023 to 2024 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% over the previous two years. School-age childcare has shown particular growth in recent years. The estimated number of enrolments for schoolgoing children nationally increased by 56% during this period. Moreover, 261 new school-age childcare services were added to the Tusla register in 2024, leading to a net increase of 225 new school-age childcare services in one year alone. That is significant, notwithstanding the fact that we always need to do more. It does appear, however, that the demand for early learning and care in school-age childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country. The Deputy specifically referenced his own area. While this is more generally a bigger issue when it comes to younger children, there may be instances of misaligned supply for local demand for school-age childcare, notwithstanding the substantial increase in provision. Demand for places beyond sessional preschool provision is highly elastic and shaped very substantially by families’ individual composition, circumstances and preferences; employment patterns and income, and the price and availability of services. My Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of core funding, which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced, including school-age childcare places. Additional funding was secured in budget 2025 to facilitate a further expansion in capacity from September 2025. Expansion in school-age childcare has also been supported by the extension of the national childcare scheme subsidies to all children up to 15 years of age, and particularly the incremental increase in the rates of universal subsidy from 50 cent per hour in 2023 up to €2.14 per hour since 2024. The Department also funds 30 city and county childcare committees, which provide support and assist families and providers. The network of 30 childcare committees across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them.
Sentiment score: 0.31
It is an absolute objective of this Government to ensure that we make provision for children of all ages. More specifically, the Deputy is interested in school-age childcare. We have had some very significant innovations I can point to. For example, in my time as the Minister for Education, I published procedures on the use of school buildings and sports facilities outside of school hours. The purpose here was to ensure that in the first instance community opportunities would be utilised such as school buildings and sports halls, and very specifically that there would be opportunities for early learning and childcare providers to make use of school buildings or whatever, in this instance because the building would be empty after school and would be in an ideal location for after-school services. There are now 565 school-age childcare-only services located on school premises, which represent almost two thirds, or 59%, of school-age childcare-only services in operation. That is quite significant. We need to do more work in this space with schools.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I want to be clear that I 100% agree with the Deputy. It is only right and proper that everybody who wishes to participate in the workforce get that opportunity. It is certainly not acceptable or right that anyone's opportunities would be hindered because of a lack of childcare or that it would be one particular cohort of people. The Deputy specifically instanced women who would be disadvantaged here, and that is not acceptable. It is one of the key agendas of the Government to ensure that this is not the case. Notwithstanding the progress that has been made on the use of our school buildings, there is scope to do more there too. Equally, it will be hugely helpful to us that the forward planning unit that is now up and running in the Department will be able to provide for us extensive data on where there is specific need in specific areas. The need in some areas is greater than in others. The unit is drawing on the expertise of statisticians on secondment from the Central Statistics Office, along with other specialists, which will allow us to future-proof so that the Government is aware and that the State can step in where that is required.
Sentiment score: 0.30
I am aware of the facility to which the Deputy refers. As he indicated in the question, Once Upon a Time has regrettably chosen to withdraw four of its ten services from core funding. They are Once Upon a Time services in Ballymount, Dublin 2, Dundrum and Shankill, with six other sites remaining in the core funding. The Department, through the local childcare committee, has engaged directly with the provider in question to highlight the benefits of staying in core funding not only for their services but also for the families who avail of them. The provider has not reversed the decision to date. Core funding has been designed with maximum participation of providers in mind as reflected in the year-on-year growth of investment in the scheme rising from €259 million in year one to more than €390 million in year four. Moreover, the annual changes to the allocation model and in the conditions attached to the funding have ensured that the scheme remains responsive, balancing the needs of providers while seeking also to meet a range of other objectives. Among those objectives is ensuring taxpayers' money is used in a way that sustains services while not excessively increasing private profit. Core funding translated into €1.5 million in year one of the scheme for Once Upon a Time services. It then rose to €2.1 million in year two and to €2.5 million in year three when all ten of the services in the chain participated. The Department projects that core funding for these services would be in the region of €3.3 million for year four of the scheme which would be an increase of 109% on funding for the chain since 2022. However, Once Upon a Time, regrettably, decided to withdraw four of its ten services from the scheme in year four, forgoing an estimated €1.1 million in core funding for those services. As core funding is an optional scheme, this company has the autonomy and business freedom to choose not to join core funding, even though this will result in the loss of the significant financial support it offers and the substantial benefits and certainty it brings to the families accessing the services. For this coming programme year Once Upon a Time remains eligible to provide the national childcare scheme, the early childcare and education programme and the community childcare subvention plus saver programme.
Sentiment score: 0.15
Core funding remains open and Once Upon a Time may reapply for the withdrawn services during the year and can join the overwhelming majority of providers. Already 90% of all providers are involved in core funding, which is a 5% increase on the number of providers involved in core funding this time last year. The opportunity remains open to Once Upon a Time to reapply for the services it has withdrawn. The Department is always exploring the potential for further changes to enhance core funding. Any changes for year five, starting 26 September, would be based on the operation of year four of the scheme, starting this month as well as stakeholder input. The issues faced by families accessing Once Upon a Time services will inform that work. I also want to acknowledge the fourth year of core funding began on 1 September 2025 and as of that date, 4,336 services have signed up for the fourth year. Core funding has been designed with maximum participation of providers in mind, as reflected in the year-on-year growth of investment in this scheme from 259 in year one to 390 in year four.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I reiterate that the Government is absolutely committed to the €200 per month payment as outlined in the programme for Government over its lifetime. I took note of the Deputy's commentary that this provider and other providers are suggesting that core funding "traps services". That is not an accurate phrase to use insofar as I can point to the fact that core funding provided €1.5 million in year one of the scheme for Once Upon a Time services. That increased to €2.1 million in year two and indeed €2.5 million was made available in year three through core funding to those services. I am not so sure trapping the service is accurate nor indeed is it accurate when we reflect upon the fact that at this point in the year 90% of services have all engaged with the core funding model and have signed up to the core funding model. Clearly, the vast majority of services we have believe in the core funding model, notwithstanding that we can always improve the situation. They have subscribed to the core funding model.
Sentiment score: 0.19
The funding provided by the Department for early learning and care, ELC, and school-aged childcare services is provided on the same basis to both Irish medium and English medium services, whether inside or outside Gaeltacht areas. In line with commitments in the five-year action plan for the Irish language, the Department recruited an Irish language support co-ordinator in 2020 to drive the development of a national plan. It has provided funding since 2023 to Better Start to recruit an Irish language early years specialist to support mentoring and advice to Irish medium ELC settings. The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht provides additional supports for Irish medium ELC services in the Gaeltacht through its agencies and organisations such as Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta. In addition, in June 2024, the Department's predecessor with responsibility for the Irish language announced five-year funding to provide a comprehensive support and development service to naíonraí outside of the Gaeltacht to be administered by Gaeloideachas. Furthermore, my own Department has provided funding to Gaeloideachas in 2025 to support Irish medium ELC settings. Additionally, the Department is currently working in collaboration with other relevant Departments and agencies to develop a national plan to further the development of Irish language provision in the ELC and the school-age childcare sector. The development of such a plan is a commitment in the five-year action plan for the Irish language. The national plan is expected to support the delivery of two commitments in First Five, the whole-of-government strategy for babies, young children and their families: to introduce measures to ensure children in Gaeltacht areas have access to Irish medium ELC provision and to develop mechanisms to provide Irish language supports to ELC provision where huge proportions of children are learning through the medium of Irish.
Sentiment score: 0.47
I thank the Deputy. I know this is a matter close to her heart. As she has articulated so well in the context of her constituency, it is of particular importance given the Gaeltacht provision. The national plan is particularly important in advancing the supports and the vision we have for naíonraí. I agree with the Deputy that the earlier we can support the language and ensure our children have access to and experience of it, the better it is in the long term. The plan, to outline it, will support the delivery of the commitments in the programme for Government. There is a specific commitment in the programme for Government to directly support naíonraí and crèches to ensure early education access in Gaeltacht communities and beyond, and plan the development of State-led facilities in tandem with the school building programme, including Irish-medium naíonraí. There are specific commitments in the programme for Government. In addition to the focus on Irish-medium ELC and SAC services, it is anticipated that the new national plan will also include measures to support English-medium early learning and care services to work within the updated Aistear early childhood curriculum framework, which was published in December 2024.
Sentiment score: 0.52