Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2025
784. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare scheme universal subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51728/25]
View answer785. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare income-assessed subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51729/25]
View answer786. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51730/25]
View answer787. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme income-assessed subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51731/25]
View answer788. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme universal subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51732/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 784 to 788, inclusive, together.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents reduce the cost of early learning and childcare.
Subsidies are available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age. The minimum rate available is €2.14 per hour, which is available for up to 45 weekly hours.
The total cost of the National Childcare Subsidy to date in 2025 (26/09/25) is €383,385,393. To date in 2025, the universal award cost €200,288,032 and the income assessed award has cost €156,642,360.
To date in 2025 (26/09/25), there have been 229,819 unique recipients of the National Childcare Scheme. The universal subsidy has served 153,795 children, while the income assessed subsidy has served 76,809 children.
The number of children using the Scheme has grown by over 70% since 2022 due to enhancements further improving the affordability of childcare for parents. These include the extension of the upper age eligibility for the Universal award from 3 years of age to 15 years of age in August 2022. There have also been two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy rate bringing it up to the current rate of €2.14. Since September 2024, all childminders are able to register for the NCS making the scheme more accessible to more parents.
This growth was further supported by Core Funding, which aims to ensure affordability for parents through fee management conditions and ensuring that providers offer NCS and ECCE to all eligible children.
For your information, the table below details the cost of the NCS by year from 2020 to 2025, and further breaks those figures down into universal subsidy, income assessed subsidy, and sponsor subsidy.
Please be aware the grand total may not align to the subtotals as children may move between different subsidy types during a given year.
|
- |
€ cost by subsidy type |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Income Assessed |
0 |
41,931,065 |
107,963,344 |
157,156,299 |
203,908,722 |
212,877,972 |
156,642,360 |
|
Universal |
48,669 |
4,320,222 |
11,930,959 |
18,875,987 |
118,367,043 |
180,030,830 |
200,288,032 |
|
Sponsor |
0 |
1,180,510 |
6,530,233 |
13,863,364 |
19,701,611 |
26,188,240 |
26,455,001 |
|
Total |
48,669 |
47,431,798 |
126,424,536 |
189,895,650 |
341,977,377 |
419,097,041 |
383,385,393 |
Also for your information, the table below details the number of unique children in receipt of the NCS by year from 2020 to 2025, and further breaks those figures down into universal subsidy, income assessed subsidy, and sponsor subsidy.
Please be aware the grand total may not align to the subtotals as children may move between different subsidy types during a given year.
|
Subsidy rate type |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 YTD |
|
Income Assessed subsidy |
33,157 |
52,944 |
70,512 |
81,612 |
85,079 |
76,809 |
|
Sponsor subsidy |
944 |
2,914 |
5,207 |
7,204 |
8,617 |
9,165 |
|
Universal subsidy |
14,979 |
22,581 |
53,339 |
104,192 |
137,939 |
153,795 |
|
Grand Total |
48,039 |
76,436 |
123,552 |
182,295 |
218,498 |
229,819 |
