Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 July 2025
209. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the case of childcare fees outlined to her office by email (details supplied); if clarity will be provided regarding the qualifying criteria under the proposed fee cap; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36368/25]
View answerThe fee caps I announced recently will only apply to Partner Services who sign up to Core Funding year 4. Programme year 4 begins in September, and any service signed up to Core Funding from September onwards will have to reduce their fees to meet the fee caps if they are currently charging higher fees.
For information, my Department has a list of all Core Funding Partner Services which is updated regularly on the Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/how-to-find-a-partner-service/
The new maximum fee cap, to be introduced for all Partner Services from September 2025, will place a limit on the maximum fees that can be charged across all types of provision.
This will reduce costs for families who are facing the highest fees across the country. The freeze on fees will remain in place for all other services whose fees fall below the new fee caps (90%).
Under these new fee caps, the fee for a full day place – of between 40-50 hours per week, the most common full day care operating hours – will be no more than €295 per week (before State subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted), the fee cap for 50+ hours of care is €354.
Officials from my Department have informed me that, if the service in question are offering the 50 hours+, they fall under Fee Band F. Please see Fee Band Table below for the maximum weekly fee for all Partner Services in the programme year 2025/2026.
All of the fee caps will reduce the highest fees at each fee band in the country. The majority of services are already charging far less than the new maximum fees.
|
Fee Band |
Hours per week |
Maximum weekly fee for First Time Partner Services in 2024/2025 |
Maximum weekly fee for ALL Partner Services in 2025/2026 |
|
Band A |
Less than 10 hours |
€65 |
€59 |
|
Band B |
Between 10 hours and 19 hours 59 minutes |
€130 |
€118 |
|
Band C |
Between 20 hours and 29 hours 59 minutes |
€195 |
€177 |
|
Band D |
Between 30 hours and 39 hours 59 minutes |
€260 |
€236 |
|
Band E |
Between 40 hours and 49 hours 59 minutes |
€325 |
€295 |
|
Band F |
50 or more hours |
€390 |
€354 |
A FAQ document for parents will be available on www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/campaigns/core-funding/ in the coming weeks. This document will include what the changes in programme year 2025/2026, including the introduction of maximum fee caps, will mean for parents.
