Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 September 2025
545. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is considering policies to incentivise early learning and childcare providers to operate an extended timetable to accommodate parents requiring earlier drop-off or later collection times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49817/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
The structure of this Department's funding schemes offer a high degree of flexibility to early learning and childcare providers in structuring their service offering. In particular Core Funding, which provides funding directly to services to support operating costs, scales in line with hours of operation and age group of children catered for. Currently, through this scheme, a service provider who offers places that start earlier or end later will receive additional funding versus one who opens later or closes earlier.
However, early learning and childcare providers, whether for-profit or not-for profit, are private entities and as such, it is a matter for each provider to determine operational matters, including the opening and closing times of their service in response to local need and other considerations.
This Department, continues to support expansion of provision, both the establishment of new places and extending the hours offered by existing places through the funding and conditions of the various schemes available to services.
