2026-06-23

9. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action being taken to reduce the cost of childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47437/26]

Tá an chéad cheist eile in ainm an Teachta Eamon Scanlon ach tá sé tar éis an Teachta Aisling Dempsey a ainmniú chun í a thógáil.

I want to ask the Minister to outline the current and future actions that are being taken to reduce the cost of childcare for parents across the country.

I thank Deputy Dempsey. I have always made it clear that the €200-per-month programme for Government commitment is to be achieved over the lifetime of this Government. We did discuss this earlier. Shaping the Future: The Early Years Action Plan, phase 1 report, was published last December and we have now moved on to phase 2 of the action plan report. That is very much focusing on consultation and drawing in the opinions, thoughts and lived experience of people who are in the sector, such as parents and others who have an interest in this area. The consultation process has been really significant. We were really pleased that over 11,000 people engaged online with the survey. There were 56 local consultations held right across the country. They were on the ground, as it were. I want to acknowledge the work of the City and County Childcare Committees in that respect. There was also, very importantly, an engagement with children. It was done in art form but it was important that the views of children would be solicited and harnessed. There will also be a national consultation event which will take place later this year. Results of this consultation, phase 2, and the additional analysis, will inform how we move forward from 2027 through to 2029. The fee-freeze and maximum fee caps required for core funding have been key to the progress in recent years in making early learning and care and school-age childcare services more affordable. The 2026 actions on affordability will include further reductions in some of the highest fees paid by parents by lowering the maximum fees that core funding partner services can charge. In addition, from autumn 2026 we will reduce out-of-pocket costs for lower-income families through the national childcare scheme, NCS. The measures we are introducing include an increase to the lower base or income threshold of the income-assessed subsidy from €26,000 to €34,000, and on the upper end increasing it from €60,000 to €68,000, to extend income-assessed subsidies to more families. An increase to the multiple child deduction, MCD, component of the income-assessed subsidy is also being provided for where there are two children under the age of 15.

I thank the Minister for that update. I really welcome the maximum fee cap the Minister mentioned that is coming in September and will cap those fees at €183.70. That is a real tangible step for families to achieving really affordable childcare. Families that are facing those highest fees will see the money back in their pockets. Where are those services that will benefit the most from that? Are there many of those families in Meath that will see a reduction in their fees? The Minister mentioned the €200-per-month commitment in the programme for Government. Like many people, I knew it would take the lifetime of this Government to achieve that. Is the Minister confident that in the next budget there will be more of a positive and significant change that will make childcare more affordable?

I want to acknowledge Deputy Dempsey's personal engagement with me specifically on the areas of early years and childcare and in particular the costs. She can be absolutely assured that we are going into this budget seeking the maximum funding we can to advance the ambition. It is a very clear ambition that is in the programme for Government around the €200-per-month cost, or the €50-per-week. Also part of that is ensuring there is sufficiency of funding that there are enough places available so parents are catered for and also that there are core funding supports available, whether that is for staff, providers or whatever the case might be. I want to reference the maximum fee caps. That is very significant. These are the cohort of people who are paying the most fees. Once they have the national childcare subsidies included, it will reduce from €198 per week to €183.70 per week. Other elements we have already referenced are the thresholds for the income-assessed subsidy support. Again, that is very significant. The figures specifically for County Meath I will have to find separately for the Deputy but I will make sure she gets them.