6. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to reduce the cost of childcare; the steps being taken to prevent the closure of early years and crèche services; if there is a timeframe in place to cap childcare costs as per the programme for Government commitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50181/25]

Sentiment score: 0.14

I acknowledge the massive investment made in recent years. Since the introduction of core funding in 2022, something in the region of €259 million has been allocated. In many constituencies, particularly in suburban areas like mine, we still face a severe lack of childcare places. One of the largest childcare providers in the country closed its doors to the scheme a couple of months ago in Carrigtwohill, east Cork, namely Mary Geary's Childcare. That facility has 450 children. When somebody like that turns their back on the scheme, it is not that they wanted to; it is that the offering they give to parents far exceeds the minimum standards required. You might say that is a decision they make, but they have set those high standards. Will the Minister talk about caps for large-scale providers like Mary Geary's Childcare? There is a cap in the region of €700,000 or €750,000 that prevents them from-----

Sentiment score: 0.05

I think we both got stuck for time when we were trying to address the question. I specifically asked about the Mary Geary set-up in Carrigtwohill. I ask about it because it is the largest provider in Munster, if not the country. We are concerned because there are no alternatives for people who choose to go elsewhere. I asked the Taoiseach about it last week but have still not received a response. We are particularly concerned because there are about 300 families with 450 children affected and they are faced with the prospect of a 34% hike in fees because the provider has decided to go outside of the core scheme. It is perfectly entitled to make that decision but there are very few alternatives for people. They feel tied to the service and that is a massive increase for any household to take on. I ask for clarity on the threshold. I think there is a threshold of some €700,000 or €750,000 that they are not allowed to exceed. In cases of a massive provider like this, is there any way those thresholds can be looked at?

Sentiment score: 0.11