Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 March 2023
137. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the threshold for the maximum subsidy under the national childcare scheme from €26,000 annual income to €40,000, €45,000 and €50,000 on a full-year basis. [15515/23]
View answer138. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated annual cost of increasing the upper income limit for the national childcare scheme from €60,000 to €80,000 and €100,000. [15516/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 138 together.
The National Childcare Scheme income assessment system is a complex and multi-faceted tool to support a fair an progressive approach to calculation subsidies.
Models to support calculations arising from parameter changes to the income assessment system are equally complex.
Officials in my Department are currently assessing the change in uptake of the NCS due to the increase in the universal subsidy in January of this year and the increase in eligibility in September 2022 prior to undertaking such modelling. As a result, a model to inform the requested estimates cannot be developed within the timeline for reply to the parliamentary question.
Officials will revert to the Deputy in the coming weeks once the model is finalised with a response to scenarios offered.
