Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
780. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions are being taken to address difficulties in securing childcare places under the NCS sponsorship scheme; if funding levels have been reviewed; whether incentives for providers to accept sponsored children are being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45226/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) Sponsorship arrangement provides fully funded early learning and childcare for vulnerable children who are referred to the Scheme by designated Sponsor Bodies. Referrals are made where childcare is needed on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. Where a referral is made by a Sponsor Body, the full cost of an agreed amount of childcare hours is paid for by the State with no contribution required of the family.
I am aware that some concerns have been expressed regarding the availability of early learning and childcare places for children supported through the Sponsorship arrangement. While Sponsorship ensures that the cost of childcare is met for children referred to the Scheme, the availability of places is dependent on wider capacity within the early learning and childcare sector. That said, improving access to quality early learning and childcare is a key priority of the Government and my Department continues to invest significantly in the sector through, for instance, Core Funding and capital funding, aimed at supporting the expansion of capacity.
The efficacy of Sponsorship arrangements is kept under review by my Department and, importantly, my Department has reviewed Sponsorship funding levels. As a result, from 2 September 2024, the Sponsorship rate for children aged between 52 weeks-15 years increased to €5.30 per hour. Children aged between 24-52 weeks receive €5.87 per hour. This represents a 23% increase for certain age categories, such as school-aged children. In the case of a sponsored child, awards may be granted for a maximum of 45 hours, depending on the determination made by the referring Sponsor Body. The most recently published fee data for the 2024/25 programme year indicates that the average (median) weekly fee per child before subsidies was €200 for full day early learning and childcare. Bearing this in mind, the Sponsorship rates compare favourably with the median weekly fee charged for full-day early learning and childcare services.
The Sponsorship arrangement continues to support a significant number of vulnerable children. The enhancements outlined above, coupled with a Core Funding requirement on services to offer the Scheme to all eligible families (including those in receipt of Sponsorship) has helped to lead to a 9% increase in services offering the NCS in 2025 compared to the previous year. The number of children benefitting from Sponsorship also increased by 24% for the same period. In 2026 (YTD), a total of 9046 children have benefited from Sponsorship arrangements – note, this figure is expected to increase over the coming months.
Finally, in relation to incentives for providers, my Department keeps all aspects of the Scheme under review. Recent increases to Sponsorship rates, together with broader investment in the sector through Core Funding, are intended to support Provider sustainability and participation in Government programmes.
An independent evaluation of the NCS has commenced this year which will review how the Scheme has performed to date and identify any potential improvements that could be made to better support families. The findings of this evaluation will inform potential enhancements to the NCS to continue to support families with accessing early learning and childcare.
Finally, my Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of CCCs across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
I encourage those families having trouble sourcing an early learning and childcare place for their child to contact their local CCC for assistance. Details of which may be found on www.gov.ie here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/.
