Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2021
478. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to reduce the cost of childcare for parents with particular reference to ensuring as much support as possible to working families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47569/21]
View answerMy Department currently invests €638 million in the early learning and childcare sector, with affordability for parents a key policy objective of this investment.
To address affordability, my Department funds universal pre-school under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. This provides for free access to early learning and childcare for 15 hours per week for the two years before children start primary school.
My Department also funds the National Childcare Scheme. This provides universal and income-assessed subsidies to parents. A universal subsidy for children up to three is available for up to 45 hours per week. An income-assessed subsidy is available for children of all ages for up to 45 hours per week, the level of which is determined by the family’s income.
Government has committed to increase investment in the sector to €1 billion by 2028.
A new funding model will be a key vehicle to ensure that this significant additional investment delivers the best return for children, families and the State. An Expert Group is leading on this work.
This Expert Group has commissioned and published a series of reports, including consideration of ways to reduce early learning and childcare costs to parents and mechanisms to control fees.
The report of the Expert Group is currently being finalised and will be submitted to me in November. The work of this Group is also informing my Department’s approach to Budget 2022.
