610. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there is an awareness within her Department that parents are frequently unaware that they must undergo an annual renewal for their child under the NCS and as such many parents are cut off without knowing that they will be; the plans her Department has to create greater awareness for parents; her views on whether there is a lack of clarity given to parents about the need to manually renew; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47200/26]

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is designed to provide accessible and affordable childcare support to families across the State. Under the scheme, eligibility is assessed based on a number of factors, including income and the age of the child, and accordingly requires periodic review to ensure that supports remain appropriate to a family’s circumstances.

Awards are typically made for a fixed period of 12 months. Parents are required to submit a renewal application in advance of the expiry of their current award in order to continue receiving support. It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that their details are kept up to date and that renewal applications are submitted on time.

This is a key financial and governance control to ensure the benefits of public monies are maximised and that the investment is following the child.

The Department has put in place a number of measures to improve awareness and support parents through the renewal process. These include automated reminder notifications issued through the NCS online portal in advance of expiry and email alerts to registered users.

The Department also funds 30 City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) across the country that coordinate the implementation of national early learning and childcare policy and programmes at a local level. The CCC are available to support parents and guardians to understand what early learning and childcare options are available to them.

In addition to the CCCs, the Parent Support Centre is available by phone or contact form for assistance during this process. It’s also worth noting that extensive guidance material and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are available on www.ncs.gov.ie to help parents when it comes to submitting their NCS application. This material is kept under review and updated where appropriate.

Simplify and Support, the Action Plan for Simplification, published on 17th December 2025, includes actions to simplify ELC processes where possible. Key actions in the Plan include:

• Improve parent-facing content for ELC and SAC programmes and schemes, ensuring the content is accessible to all parents.

• Continue to support parents through the City/County Childcare Committees and the Parent Support Centre.

• Scope options to simplify processes and reduce administrative requirements on parents, including the introduction a long-term CHICK under the NCS.