Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 October 2025
297. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role of her Department in supporting the use of school buildings for childcare, after-school services and breakfast clubs, particularly in areas of high demand such as north County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54111/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
The early learning and childcare sector has expanded significantly in recent years; enrolments increased by 19% between 2022 and 2024 and registrations of new services have increased. This is particularly the case with school age childcare services with 261 new school age childcare services having opened in 2024. Estimated enrolments in school-age childcare, based on Sector Profile data, have grown by 56% over the last two years.
However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.
The use of school buildings is a matter for the owners of those buildings. Last year, the Department of Education published Procedures on the use of school property and school sports facilities outside of school hours. This document provides encouragement and guidance to schools to make available facilities for early learning and childcare and other community purposes when not required by the school.
This Department supports the operations of ELC and SAC services, whether in school buildings or elsewhere, through a range of funding streams. The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.
This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service. For the previous programme year, the allocation for Core Funding allowed for a 6% increase in capacity. Additional funding was secured in Budget 2025 to facilitate a further 3.5% increase from September 2025. Core Funding supports services to defray both staff and non-staff costs.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial supports to parents to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. The Scheme has undergone a number of enhancements in recent years to further improve affordability for parents. These include the extension of the Universal subsidy to all children under 15 and two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy, which is now worth €2.14 per hour. Families in receipt of an income assessed subsidy receive a greater deduction per hour from their fees. These enhancements have helped to result in a positive growth in the number of families benefitting from NCS subsidies and the expansion of the sector.
