Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 October 2025
298. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department provides funding or logistical support to community or private providers seeking to operate services from school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54112/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents reduce the cost of early learning and childcare in the form of a subsidy paid directly to the childcare provider. Subsidies are available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age. The minimum rate available to all families in Ireland is €2.14 per hour, which is available for up to 45 weekly hours. Depending on the child's age and the family's income, an additional income assessed subsidy may be available to provide additional support.
All Tusla registered providers are eligible to offer the National Childcare Scheme and avail of the supports the subsidy provides. Services are eligible for the same supports irrespective of if they are a community or private provider or if they operate in school buildings. Together for Better includes Core Funding, the National Childcare Scheme, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Access and Inclusion model (AIM) and Equal Start.
Core Funding is a grant for early learning and childcare providers towards their operating costs and is designed to improve affordability, quality, accessibility and sustainability. It is a supply-side funding stream, paid directly to providers that is distributed in a fair and reasonable manner and is related to services’ costs of delivery. The calculation of the grant is the same for all services nationwide.
The majority of Core Funding is distributed to services via:
* The Base Rate – Based on a service’s staffed capacity which considers their opening hours, operating weeks, age group of attendees, and number of places available.
Places do not need to be filled, but the correct number of staff as set out in the regulations must be in place.
* Graduate Premiums – Provide funding in support of graduate-led provision. The calculation is based on the number of graduate Lead Educators and graduate Managers in a service and the hours worked by these staff.
* Targeted Measures – These are in place to channel additional State support towards small and sessional services such as a play schools, Naíonraí or Montessori's. The targeted measures include a flat rate top up for sessional only services. There is also a minimum allocation for all centre-based early learning and care and/or school age childcare providers, regardless of how small they are.
Participation in Core Funding is optional, but it remains open to all registered providers subject to their agreement to the terms and conditions of the funding.
