Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
42. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to identify childcare services in Cork city and county that are experiencing difficulties with core funding; the difficulties and issues identified by the Department on childcare service providers not continuing with core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73067/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraServices experiencing difficulties in relation to Core Funding are encouraged to contact their local City/County Childcare Committee who can support and advise them.
If a Partner Services wishes to withdraw from the Core Funding Programme, they must provide 3 months’ notice to the Scheme Administrator. This must be done by submitting a Service Request on the Early Years Early Years Hive outlining the withdrawal date and the reason for the withdrawal.
Where services announce their intention to withdraw from the scheme close to the end of the programme year, the Department engages through the City and County Childcare Committees and Pobal with such services to highlight the benefits of staying in Core Funding, not only for their service but also for the families who avail of them. I am hopeful that such providers may reconsider their decision, as so many others have over the past three years.
In relation to withdrawals, services may choose to leave the scheme mid-year for a multitude of reasons including being denied a fee increase, temporary closures, financial difficulties, administrative requirements and personal reasons such as retirement. Many services have left and later re-joined the scheme.
The Department will continue to engage with the sector, and continue to develop the scheme so that it can continue to see the high uptake levels it has seen this year, and indeed since it was launched in 2022.
