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LAST UPDATE | 29 Aug 2024
TWO YEARS OF childcare should be a legal right, according to the Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman, as early education is set to be more heavily subsidised for parents from Monday.
O’Gorman made the comments while outlining the new subsidy rates in Dublin today and added that he wanted to make sure every young child had access to early-childhood education.
One way the minister suggested this could be achieved was by the State taking greater control of the delivery of of childcare services.
From Monday, the minimum hourly subsidy under the National Childcare Scheme or children under 15 years old will increase by 53%, or from €1.40 to €2.14.
Meanwhile, for families using Tusla-registered early learning and childcare, the subsidy increase represents total cost reductions of up to €96.30 weekly per child, or over €5,000 annually.
On Monday, the hourly subsidy under the NCS sponsor referral programme, which makes special provision for vulnerable children, will also increase.
These changes were announced as the Minister also expressed support for increasing pay for childcare professionals and for it to become a legal right that young children are entitled to two years of early-childhood education.
“I believe there should be a legal right to the two years of ECCE for every child, that should be down there as a statutory entitlement in the same way you have a legal right to go primary school,” O’Gorman said.
In April, The Journal asked readers to share their stories and found that many parents reported experiencing immense stress trying to find a place as they deal with tough decisions like cutting back on hours or leaving a job to ensure that someone is looking after their children every day. Some even talked about emigrating.
This was three years after The Journal readers first shared their experiences, but seemingly little had changed.
At the start of 2023, the universal hourly subsidy was increased to €1.40 from €0.50 per hour. There have been other improvements for caregivers in recent years too.
The subsidies applied only to children under three years old until August 2022, when they were extended to all children under 15.
In this year’s Budget, an investment package worth €1.1 billion for early learning and childcare meant those receiving the NCS saw a further 25% reduction in childcare costs “on average”.
However, parents will see the specific percentage they pay reduced by different amounts depending on where they live. That’s because childcare costs are higher in urban areas and lower in rural counties.
According to the 2022 Annual Early Years Sector Profile report, administered on behalf of the Department of Children, the average cost of childcare fees in Dublin in 2020 and 2021 were the highest in the country.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the highest average weekly fees for full day, part time and sessional childcare, followed by Fingal, South Dublin and Dublin City.
The average weekly full day fees in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (€244.08) were 60% higher than the average fees recorded for Carlow (€152.08).
A total of 175,389 children have benefitted from an NCS subsidy so far this year.
The number of children benefiting from subsidies has increased by over 97,000 when compared to the same period in 2022.
Parents can avail of supports on offer by visiting www.NCS.gov.ie, calling the Parent Support Centre on 01 906 8530 or talking to their early learning and childcare provider.
Includes reporting by Press Association
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I just simply ran a cable under the Irish sea to a friend’s in Wales and hooked up to their box with a splitter.
Try a vpn way cheaper
Genius ;)
Lol u live up to ur name cupid!
Simply install AnonymouX and you can change your ip address to a UK one and watch BBC online if you so wish.
Tips and tricks 2015
Just use a proxy/VPN. I use ZenMate from the Chrome Web Store. It’s free and you can change your IP address to one from the UK, US, Germany, Romania or Hong Kong.
Hola is a service that tacks on to your browser and changes you to the US or UK at the touch of a button.
I use hola on the lap top and my iPhone. It’s great for netflix and I’ve never had a problem with it
You just risk someone else looking at dodgy content on your ip address that could land you in trouble. Never heard of Zenmate. Does the same risk apply and does it work on iOS??
You could just not look at ‘dodgy content’. Or if you have to look whatever that is, just do it when you don’t have the vpn turned on and just let Eircom/UPC look at your ‘dodgy content’.
The way Hola works is someone in another country could be looking at all sorts if stuff but yet the cops will knock on your door.
I’ve read my post 3 times now and I still can’t understand how you misunderstood it???
@Darren – re-read Bob’s initial comment, he’s correct in what he’s saying.
Why not just throw a £5 paywall on it for people outside the UK?
RTE could make a buck by doing the same, they’ll probably ruin it though, and get greedy.
They’d actually make a good bit on it, with the positive reaction to the hurling on Sky last year.
I only watch it for the Angelus myself.
Because nobody would pay to watch Fair City…
Fairly Sh!tty :)
And this is why God invented IP proxy services. I can happily watch BBC and US Netflix from the comfort of my sitting room. The world and technology is changing quicker than regulation can keep up!
F*ck the story, isn’t my angel Benedict looking beautiful?
I thought I’d find you letching here…
You can get all the UK channels at filmon.com for free, streaming in real time. Many other country’s channels too, works great in Ireland.
Hola Unblocker is brilliant! I watch BBC, CBS, Hulu with no problems.
+1
Hold works great. Watched the whole world snooker championship with no stoppages
if only there were some way to use a proxy to fool the BBC website into thinking your browser originates in the UK. But as far as I know no such technology exists and we will have to make do with RTE…
No one is saying there’s no way around it now! But obviously it would be far better if you didn’t have to find a back door in the first place.
That said, what on earth does “cross-border access to the content [...but not...] wanting to destroy this principle of territoriality” mean? He didn’t think that might need a little clarification?
Bismarck would be happy
Does anyone care??!!!!
Yes. The hundreds of thousands of us who use Netflix from Ireland, for example.
Yes you pay for a service that shafts you even before you start to watch. European version of netflix is terrible. The American version has way more content. Hence your getting shafted. Get what you can for free. It’s always better when it’s free.
Type stream into Google. Whatever happens after that is up to you
And they wonder why there’s piracy. Take what you can get after all even if your a good law abiding citizen your still going to get shafted all the way to the bank. Thats a fact. So don’t start with the smart comments. Just enjoy life. After all one way or another we’re all getting robbed ripped off and scammed. If you worry you die. If you don’t worry you still die. Enjoy life
Hidninja vpn …problem solved ..
I have iPlayer on my Sky box and I swear, I may have used it once in the past 3 months. You’re not missing too much.
I recently rented a book from the library, The Gym Bible , I was so impressed with it I decided I would buy it online , when I searched for it I discovered that it could be downloaded for free, happy days until it said that content was not available to download outside of America. I did but it in the end online for €20 but if i didnt have to i wouldnt have .
ExPat Shield is brilliant for changing your IP address to a UK one. Works perfectly for BBC or ITV players.
Their blocking UK based vpns now as well.
have your say