Childcare Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-08
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Emer Higgins (FG), Dublin Mid-West

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As I said, childcare is a priority for the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality and the Government as a whole. The Deputy is specifically referring to summer camps and recreational activities outside the NCS. Summer camps which provide early years service, that is, summer camps for children under six years of age, are considered an early years service and must therefore be registered, unless exempted as defined under section 58A of the Child Care Act, inserted by section 92 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. I would like it noted that further enhancements of the income-assessed subsidy are being introduced from 31 October of this year. These include an increase in the lower income threshold to qualify for the maximum subsidy rate from €26,000 to €34,000. This will ensure more families on lower incomes, including those below the relative poverty line, will qualify for the highest level of support. In addition, increases to the multiple-child discount component of the income-assessed subsidy for families for two or more children will further reduce families' reckonable income, thereby supporting access to higher subsidy rates for childcare. As I have said, that childcare is available through NCS services throughout the summer months.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-08/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-08