Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 November 2024
387. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the childminding development grant by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45864/24]
View answerThe Childminding Development Grants were introduced in 2004 as part of the Childminding Initiatives, administered through the City and County Childcare Committees. The grant is designed to help childminders with the cost of safety items, equipment, play resources or minor household alterations.
Until 2023, a grant of up to €1,000 was available to cover 90% of the expenditure over two years and was paid in arrears on presentation of an expenditure report and receipts. The national funding allocation was €250,000.
In 2023, through the work being undertaken under the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021 – 2028, changes were made to the grant process. The changes to the grant were to allow for a 100% grant, available on an annual basis, with 75% of the grant paid in advance of expenditure. In addition, for the 2024 grant cycle the Childminding Development Grant funding allocation was doubled to €500,000, to assist more childminders to prepare for the opening of regulations to childminders from September 2024. The maximum grant per childminder is €1,000 per year.
The cost of increasing the total financial allocation for the grant scheme by 10% would be €50,000. Alternatively, if the allocation for 2025 were kept at €500,000, an increase in the maximum value of each grant of 10% would reduce the number of applications that could be accommodated within the annual allocation from 500 grants to 454 per year.
