Written answer
Childcare Services
The Department’s Simplify and Support Action Plan aims to reduce childcare providers’ administrative burden through unified regulations and compliance, consolidated AIM applications, National Childcare Scheme reforms and upgraded digital systems. A cross-sectoral group and new provider consultative forum will oversee implementation and gather feedback.
79. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is exploring mechanisms to ease the administrative burden on childcare providers who are in core funding. [65704/26]
Comment on this
Simplify and Support, the Action Plan for Simplification was launched on the 17th December 2025.
This Action Plan was informed by an independent review by Indecon Economic Consultants and as well as regional consultation events attended by over 400 stakeholders. Its development was supported by a Working Group of officials from the Department, City/County Childcare Committees and Pobal and an Advisory Group of provider, educator/practitioner and parent representatives.
Simplify and Support seeks to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to reduce the administrative burden on early learning and childcare providers by setting out the steps that will be taken in the short, medium and long term to reduce administration and simplify regulatory requirements in this sector.
The Action Plan commits to a single set of comprehensive regulations covering all centre-based services; a Single Compliance Framework for all early learning and childcare funded programmes and schemes; and the consolidation of AIM, AIM Plus and AIM Non-Term application into a single application – the latter of which was delivered this year.
There is a commitment to reforms to the National Childcare Scheme, including the introduction of a long-term CHICK and planning for that is now underway.
I expect other possible reforms the National Childcare to emerge from the independent evaluation of the Scheme that is also underway. As part of this evaluation, the hours-based model of the Scheme is being reviewed.
Digital systems are central to the administration of early learning and childcare programmes and schemes. To this end, Simplify and Support contains ambitious commitments to deliver phased upgrades to the HIVE – the Early Years Platform.
An independent third party was appointed in April to review options for a long-term digital system for early learning and childcare, including the option of modernising the existing system or developing a new system, including the identification functional and non-functional specifications. This project is a priority action for the Department and has progressed at pace over the past number of months.
The Department holds overall responsibility for Simplify and Support and is currently convening a Cross Sectoral Group to provide oversight, in continued collaboration with key stakeholders.
A Mid-Term Review will be conducted to assess progress, and an evaluation will be completed in 2030 to assess long-term impacts.
I have also established an Early Learning and Childcare Provider Consultative Forum, to build on the Department’s strong commitment to, and track record in, engaging with stakeholders in the sector through the Department’s advisory, oversight, consultation and research processes.
Under the Terms of Reference, the Early Learning and Childcare Provider Consultative Forum discusses policy and operational issues relating to the provision of early learning and childcare services. The Forum informs members of early learning and childcare developments and invites the views, concerns and suggestions from providers, as appropriate.