32. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Programme for Government commitments on affordable, accessible, and high-quality childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47435/26]

Shaping the Future: The Early Years Action Plan, Phase 1 report (published last December) sets out measures to achieve key Programme for Government commitments on the affordability, quality, and accessibility of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC). The Action Plan adopts a phased approach that enables action to be taken in 2026 while allowing adequate time for a broad public consultation and analysis on longer-term actions.

While we need to make progress quickly, the actions we take must be sustainable, underpinned by public consultation and research, and delivered in a way that supports families, the workforce and service providers. That is why a broad public consultation process is currently underway. An online survey has been completed, with more than 11,000 responses. 56 local consultation events, organised with the City and County Childcare Committees, took place during April 2026.

Results of this consultation process, as well as additional analysis, will inform longer-term actions which will be set out in a second report, to be published by the end of 2026. Phase 2 actions will be undertaken from 2027 to 2029.

In relation to affordability, the fee-freeze and maximum fee-caps required for Core Funding have been key to the progress in recent years. 2026 actions on affordability will include further reduction 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).

I recently announced the details of a further reduction in maximum fee caps for the Core Funding programme year 2026/2027, beginning September 2026. These latest maximum fee caps, which apply to all Core Funding Partner Services, will place a limit on the maximum fees that can be charged. Under the new maximum fee caps, the highest possible upfront cost for a typical full day place of 45 hours per week will drop from around €198 per week to €183.70 per week, with universal subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme. Higher subsidies are available for many parents, depending on their level of income and the age and number of children in their family.

Among other measures, Phase 2 actions will include a roadmap to:

• Reduce parental fees to a maximum of €200 per month.

• Build on the enhanced public management provided by Core Funding to ensure both sustainability of providers and value for money for the Exchequer, providing a fair deal both for providers and for the State.

• Standardise fee-levels between services.