1620. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to review the early withdrawal provisions of the national childcare subsidy scheme with the objective of eliminating the subsidy penalty imposed on families who withdraw their children early; if her Department will conduct a consultation with childcare providers to understand the actual fee structures and charging practices used in the Irish childcare market, and realign the subsidy system accordingly; to consider alternative approaches that account for the fixed-fee, full-time charging model that dominates Irish childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42857/26]

Many families avail of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) as a way to reduce the cost of their early learning and childcare. NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. It is between the parent and provider to agree on the hours of childcare based on the family's requirements and what sessions the provider can offer.

This said, the NCS attendance rules are designed to be very flexible. Under the rules of the scheme, a child can under-attend their NCS hours for a total of 12 consecutive weeks before the subsidy is adjusted.

In full detail, if a child attends fewer than their agreed hours for a consecutive 8-week period, a warning will issue to the parent alerting them to the situation. At this point, if the child attends their agreed hours for a full week after this warning is issued, then no further action is taken. It is only if the under-attendance continues for a further four weeks that the number of subsidised hours awarded under the Scheme will be revised to reflect the average number of hours that were actually attended by the child over the previous 12-week period.

This is a key financial and governance control to ensure that Exchequer funding is used responsibly, and not to fund full-time places in respect of a child actually attending part-time hours.

The Department has recently commenced an independent evaluation of the NCS. This will include consultation and engagement with parents, educators, and representative organisations. This evaluation will examine how the NCS is performing currently and identify ways in which the NCS can better support families. As part of this evaluation, the hours-based model of the NCS will be reviewed.

1621. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken, or are planned, to increase the availability of childcare places for children aged 0-3 years old in Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42907/26]

Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.

The most recent published capacity data for the 2024/25 programme year estimated that there were 5,633 children enrolled in ELC and SAC services in Waterford. This data also indicated that 33% of services in Waterford had at least one vacant place.

Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2024/25 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 25% from the 2021/22 programme year. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.

The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.

This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service

The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.

Following on from the success of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme, a further Building Blocks scheme will open for applications in 2026. This round of capital funding will focus on funding extensions to existing premises to allow for increased numbers of children to be offered places on a full-time basis. Community and private providers who are currently Core Funding partner services will be eligible to apply for this scheme. Details can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/building-blocks-extension-scheme-phase-2/.

Separately, I recently announced €135 million of capital investment over the coming five years for State-led services to provide high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative.

Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year. The State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030. There will be a particular focus in the new state-led facilities on providing places for 1-3 year old children because this is where the need is greatest. No final decisions have yet been made on the specific projects, but I look forward to sharing details of projects as they are agreed.

The Department also funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees 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.

Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance. The contact details for the Waterford County Childcare Committee may be found at cccw.ie/.