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Childcare Services Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 December 2018

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

Ceisteanna (476, 478)

Joan Burton

Ceist:

476. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average cost of childcare services for pre-school children nationally; the average cost of such services in Dublin city and county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51509/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Joan Burton

Ceist:

478. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average cost of childcare services for pre-school children; and the average cost of such services in Dublin city and county. [51565/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 478 together.

The cost of childcare in Ireland is a major challenge for families in Ireland. In particular it is a challenge to mothers returning to work and single parent families. Due to decades of underinvestment, we have inherited one of the most expensive models of early learning and care in Europe. But this is changing.

Record numbers of families availed of Government subsidies to reduce this cost for families; including more than 40,000 children registered for the universal, non means tested subsidy of up to €1,040 per year whilst tens of thousands of families that needed it most received subsidies of up to €145 per week deducted from their childcare fees. This year the rise in cost charged for childcare was 2%, half of what was experienced the previous year.

In addition the number of children participating in the ECCE (free pre-school) scheme has doubled; whilst the scheme itself has lengthened to 76 weeks per child.

 Earlier this year the Oireachtas signed the Childcare Support Act; putting the entitlement to financial support for childcare on a legislative footing for the first time.

In 2019, we will launch the Affordable Childcare Scheme, a radical new approach to how families access financial support towards quality early learning and care.

It will take time to deliver the world class system of early learning and care that families deserve but I am confident that we are moving swiftly in the right direction to achieve this goal.

Table: Cost charged for childcare - County by County

County

Full day care

Part-time care

Sessional

Dublin – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown

€233.26

€127.45

€86.26

Cork City

€206.67

€104.27

€68.68

Dublin – Fingal

€206.25

€115.23

€71.44

Dublin – South Dublin

€202.25

€116.92

€72.17

Wicklow

€200.21

€102.47

€71.77

Dublin – Dublin City

€195.79

€115.71

€71.90

Cork County

€192.37

€108.57

€71.06

Meath

€183.52

€100.68

€68.80

Kildare

€181.39

€113.42

€73.59

Kerry

€172.17

€90.24

€62.01

Louth

€172.12

€101.05

€68.69

Westmeath

€167.97

€90.50

€69.45

Donegal

€167.22

€100.98

€59.92

Wexford

€166.34

€97.30

€67.69

Laois

€164.46

€103.04

€66.85

Offaly

€162.00

€102.33

€68.01

Kilkenny

€159.87

€88.61

€66.46

Galway

€159.44

€96.29

€67.33

Limerick

€159.00

€90.12

€67.98

Clare

€157.72

€90.54

€67.50

Waterford

€157.24

€88.94

€61.55

Cavan

€156.94

€91.13

€63.21

Leitrim

€156.54

€75.00

€62.14

Mayo

€156.40

€85.04

€64.26

Tipperary

€155.08

€92.02

€67.33

Sligo

€153.48

€98.47

€74.11

Roscommon

€151.00

€85.55

€63.69

Carlow

€149.53

€84.29

€70.02

Monaghan

€147.97

€80.12

€64.35

Longford

€146.56

€88.68

€63.31

Total

€177.92

€101.82

€68.95

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