Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2026
686. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the actions her Department takes in response to providers who are found to be in breach of core funding management rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51831/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the deputy for his question.
In instances where an individual identifies a potential increase to fees charged or a potential breach of Fee Management rules by a Core Funding Partner Service, they may seek to have this examined and a conclusion reached through the Core Funding Fee Review Process. For the 2026/2027 Programme Year, this process is being conducted by the National Fee Review Team (NFRT), as well as members of the Department who will reach decisions on individual cases.
In instances where a fee increase is identified through a Fee Review process, sanctions will vary depending on the individual circumstances of each case. However, if a determination is made that there has been a breach of the Core Funding rules, a Partner Service may be asked to provide evidence of remediation of any breach of the Core Funding rules within the allowed time period of 60 working days. Evidence of remediation may include the provision of evidence that demonstrates that a Partner Service has:
• Restored fees to the correct level, if applicable.
• Informed and refunded all parents who have been overcharged the full amount that they have overpaid, or agreed a repayment plan with them, if applicable.
• Updated the relevant Fee Table and Parent Statement for Partner Services on the Early Years Hive, posted them in public locations on the premises, and emailed them to all parents as required by the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement, if applicable.
Failure to provide evidence of remediation may result in the Minister terminating the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement. Funding may remain suspended until such a time as a determination has been made and the Partner Service has provided a Declaration and supporting evidence to the Department and/or Scheme Administrator to demonstrate its compliance with the outcome of the Fee Review Process. Should the Partner Service fail to submit the Declaration and supporting evidence within the 60 days and by the end of the programme year, any suspended funding may be forfeited.
In the event that an individual wishes to raise a concern regarding a potential breach in fee conditions, the first step is to reach out to their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC). (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/).
Further detail on this process is available in the Guidelines on Fee Management section on the Early Years Hive: Guidelines on Fee Management - Service Provider Portal (www.earlyyearshive.ncs.gov.ie/Fee-Review-Process-Guidelines-for-2026-2027-Programme-Year.pdf
