391. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the historical fee information retained by her Department or its agents for participating providers, including the earliest date for which fee schedules are held; whether fee lists dating back to 30 September 2021 (or earlier where applicable) remain available for compliance and audit purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50367/26]

I would like to thank the Deputy for this question, and I welcome the opportunity to confirm that the National Childcare Scheme website was updated on 1 February 2026 to include historical fees lists for service providers.

Historical fee data is available on the National Childcare Scheme’s Childcare Service Search for fees from the 2021/2022 programme year to the present programme year (2025/2026).

The portal hosting this information was originally designed to contain information for the current programme year only. The update introduced in late 2025 expanded its scope, allowing the Department to deliver on its commitment to ensure information regarding fees charged to parents is transparent, in line with commitments in the Programme for Government. Therefore, this welcome development ensures improved transparency in relation to early learning and childcare fees across the country.

I would like to also highlight that, in addition to services fees list - historical and current - the following information is also readily available on the portal:

• contact details for early learning and childcare services,

• whether these services are private, community or childminding services,

• the services calendar, which provide details of services operating hours per week and operating weeks per year, and

• whether the services offer the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme, the National Childcare Scheme and is taking part in the Core Funding scheme.

A key element of the Core Funding scheme is to improve affordability for parents, by ensuring that services have not increased the fees charged to parents above what was charged in September 2021, unless approved by the Department through the 2024/2025 Fee Increase Assessment Process.

As well as this update, Department officials along with the Scheme Administrator Pobal, concurrently delivered a solution to provide access to historic fees list data from 2021/22 to the present through the network of City/County Childcare Committees. This allowed any individual with fee related queries to engage with their local City/County Childcare Committee for additional information and support in understanding fees charged to them.

The network of thirty City/County Childcare Committees across the country support parents and guardians to understand their early learning and childcare options and keep an updated directory of early learning and childcare services in their local areas.

Individuals can contact their local City/County Childcare Committees who are available to provide them with information and support in relation to fees.

The contact details for all thirty City/County Childcare Committees are available on gov.ie