Childcare Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-17
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Edward Timmins (FG), Wicklow

I thank the Minister but I want to raise the concern among providers about the fee arrangements under the core funding programme and the disparity between long-established childcare providers and numerous service providers entering the scheme. I welcome what the Minister has outlined - the continuous improvement in funding from €259 million when the programme started in 2022 to an increase of over €480 million from September 2026 - but the current fee arrangements have created unintended inequality between service providers. Service providers that have been involved in the core funding programme since its introduction have had their fees tied to a rate being charged in September 2021, while new service providers are able to establish their fees based on current operating conditions, subject to applicable fee caps, which puts established childcare providers at a disadvantage.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-17