Childcare Services

Tuesday, 23 September 2025

Questions (531)

Emer Currie

Question:

531. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of ECCE-only services, by county, in 2020 to 2024 by year; her definition of ECCE-only services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49789/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a universal, free programme available to all children within the eligible age range. It provides children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school.

The table below shows the total number of ECCE-only services, compiled by county and programme year from 2020/2021 to 2024/2025. An ECCE-only service is defined as a service that has signed an ECCE contract, but is not contracted under NCS or the CCSP Saver Programme. An ECCE-only service can be contracted under Core Funding. Some of these services who are listed as "ECCE only" may also offer additional early learning and care and/or school age childcare in a private capacity not funded by my Department.

COUNTY	2020/2021	2021/2022	2022/2023	2023/2024	2024/2025
Carlow	8	10	9	11	9
Cavan	7	9	8	12	10
Clare	40	41	37	38	40
Cork	120	136	123	122	117
Donegal	23	35	17	27	29
Dublin	241	244	166	184	175
Galway	34	45	34	42	42
Kerry	24	30	28	30	24
Kildare	45	46	42	49	50
Kilkenny	23	23	22	22	22
Laois	12	10	12	13	14
Leitrim	1	4	4	4	4
Limerick	46	50	44	53	51
Longford	5	5	5	5	5
Louth	22	21	19	22	21
Mayo	36	33	35	33	33
Meath	54	59	55	60	57
Monaghan	5	4	1	1	2
Offaly	17	18	17	23	20
Roscommon	8	9	6	11	7
Sligo	13	16	13	11	10
Tipperary	26	29	24	27	29
Waterford	26	26	21	23	21
Westmeath	15	17	13	13	12
Wexford	27	26	25	25	26
Wicklow	44	45	44	42	38
Total	922	991	824	903	868