Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
133. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the provision of affordable childcare across Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13317/26]
View answer165. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the provision of childcare services across Connemara; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13318/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 165 together.
I thank the Deputy for this question. Given that data is held on a County and County Division level only, it is proposed to take both PQ 13317/26 and PQ13318/26 together.
Tusla Early Years Inspectorate, the independent statutory regulator for early years services, including pre-school, childminding and school age services, is responsible for maintaining the register of services under the Child Care Act 1991. Data from Tusla Early Years Inspectorate is collated and verified on a rolling basis. The most recent data available is from the end of December 2025. From this, there are 253 preschool services, 91 Standalone School Age services and 11 childminders registered in County Galway.
Recent data indicates that a total of 296 early learning and school age childcare providers are contracted to deliver the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in County Galway. This represents an increase in the number of services contracted to deliver the Scheme by 2.78%, when compared to 2025.
For context, the NCS provides subsidies to families to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. The Scheme has a significant impact on improving the affordability of early learning and childcare for thousands of families across the State. The total number of children who have benefitted from an NCS claim in County Galway in 2026 (YTD) is 14,237 – an increase of 9.77% when compared to the previous year. This is expected to increase throughout the year.
Both a Universal and Income-Assessed subsidy is available under the NCS for families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age. For families with an existing and valid NCS award, this can be used with any early learning and childcare service provider who has contracted to deliver the Scheme and is registered with Tusla – including childminders.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs are encouraged to contact their local City/County Childcare Committee who can support and advise them on options in their area. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places. Details of local CCCs can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/
