Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
843. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if childcare providers in receipt of core funding are obliged under their funding agreement to maintain continuity of services for enrolled families; the obligations that exist where a provider changes the age cohorts it caters for, resulting in families losing access to childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36751/26]
View answerCore Funding is a grant to Partner Services. It is allocated based on several elements, with the majority of funding based on “staffed capacity”, which is the number of child places the service can accommodate according to the services reported staffing levels. Core Funding is designed to support quality in services, including through better terms and conditions for staff and supporting graduate leadership in services, sustainability for providers through substantially increased funding to the sector, paid on a consistent and equitable basis, and enhanced public management, with associated conditions in relation to fee control, data collection, governance, compliance, and cost transparency.
To become a Partner Service an approved provider must enter into a Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement with the Department and comply with a range of conditions. Requirements of the scheme include fee management conditions, offering the National Childcare Scheme and the Early Childhood Care and Education programme to eligible children and the requirement to submit financial returns to the Department.
Early learning and care and school aged childcare services are provided by private enterprises, either private for-profit or non- profit organisations and therefore have discretion to determine the age cohorts they cater for. The terms and conditions of Core Funding do not include requirements for Partner Services to provide the same service types in a service from one programme year to the next. Additionally, there is no specific provision within Core Funding agreement that instructs providers to maintain continuity of services for enrolled families.
When services wish to discontinue a service type, the Core Funding conditions do require that Partner Services must give parents 20 working days’ notice if they intend to discontinue this service type.
Any parent who would like assistance regarding their childcare are encouraged to contact their local City/County Childcare Committee, contact details for which can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/campaigns/city-and-county-childcare-committees/.
