Core Funding represents a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme (September 2022-August 2023) rising to €287 million in year 2 (September 2023-August 2024) and €331 million in year 3 (September 2024-August 2025).
Data on Core Funding uptake and the Fee Increase Assessment Process is available by City/County Childcare Committee level. Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown , Fingal and South Dublin.
The table below outlines the Core Funding uptake in Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown , Fingal and South Dublin for the 2024/2025 programme year.
|
AREA
|
SERVICES SIGNED UP TO CORE FUNDING
|
SERVICES ELIGIBLE FOR CORE FUNDING
|
UPTAKE
|
|
Dublin City
|
384
|
437
|
88%
|
|
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
|
155
|
189
|
82%
|
|
Fingal
|
262
|
306
|
86%
|
|
South Dublin
|
203
|
229
|
89%
|
|
TOTAL
|
1004
|
1161
|
86% (Average)
|
The Fee Increase Assessment (FIA) process commenced on 1 August 2024. The process closed for applications on the 29 November 2024 and in the interest of fairness, providers are also given the right to a review or appeal. My Department is still working through applications and appeals, therefore it is not possible to give the final number of applications approved for an increase.
The table below outlined the number of providers, as of the 13 January 2025, that have applied for FIA 2024/2025; the number of those successful, rejected or pending a decision and the number that have appealed the decision.
|
Areas
|
Applications
|
Decisions sent
|
Successful
|
Rejected
|
Pending
|
Appealed
|
|
Fingal
|
97
|
63
|
45
|
18
|
34
|
13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
South Dublin
|
80
|
65
|
44
|
21
|
15
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin City
|
103
|
91
|
64
|
27
|
12
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
|
66
|
54
|
32
|
22
|
12
|
1
|
*Please Note: The applications number is the amount of services who fully completed their application and does not include services who only declared an interest, or self-declaration form.
