Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
872. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider backdating funding for sponsored childcare places where services provide care during referral delays to meet urgent child welfare needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37008/26]
View answerGenerally, there is no ‘backdating’ of financial support under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). It is not possible for payment to issue for the period prior to a provider registering a claim on the system.
This said, it is acknowledged that occasionally there may be delays in receiving a Sponsored CHICK. For the purposes of the question, ‘referral delays’ will be taken to include scenarios, for example, where:
• There is a delay on behalf of the NCS Sponsor Body in submitting a referral for a child, and;
• A child has already started in an early learning and childcare service, where it is understood a CHICK is imminent.
In scenarios such as the above, early learning and childcare providers may initiate a review process with the Scheme Administrator, Pobal. Such reviews are requested by the early learning and childcare provider via the Early Years HIVE. Upon submission of relevant documentation, Pobal (at its discretion) may issue an ad hoc payment in order to cover the affected period. However, the time limit for such reviews is six months. It should be noted that this process only exists for Sponsored children.
If an early learning and childcare provider requires support specific to Sponsored CHICKs, they should contact the Service Provider Centre at 01 511 7222 or email eypc@pobal.ie.
