The Government\u2019s new maximum fee cap for childcare services operating under the core funding model is a derisory reduction that will make little difference to hard-pressed families, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly.<\/p>\n
Deputy Farrelly, who is the party\u2019s spokesperson on children, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder the new maximum fee cap announced today by Children\u2019s Minister Norma Foley, the highest possible upfront cost for a typical full day place of 45 hours per week will reduce from around \u20ac198 per week to \u20ac183.70 \u2013 a paltry drop of less than \u20ac15.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis reduction will already have been eaten up by the cost-of-living crisis, with households across the country continuing to struggle under the weight of soaring energy bills and rising grocery prices.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is just a drop in the ocean of what\u2019s required. Before the last general election, T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris promised to publish a plan for reducing childcare costs to \u20ac200 per month within the first 100 days of Fine Gael in government. However, more than a year and a half into office, we are still waiting for a detailed roadmap for how this will be achieved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government continues to bury its head in the sand when it comes to the reality facing families accessing early years education and childcare in Ireland, and is nowhere close to fulfilling its pre-election promise.<\/p>\n
\u201cP\u00e1istecare \u2013 the public model of childcare proposal put forward by the Social Democrats \u2013 would see parties across the political spectrum come together to agree a vision for the future of the sector. A shift towards State-led childcare would reduce costs for parents, improve pay and conditions for staff and increase capacity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the type of ambition needed to reform the childcare sector \u2013 not piecemeal reductions that won\u2019t make a meaningful difference to families.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of tinkering around the edges, we need to see details of the much-vaunted Government plan to bring down childcare costs to \u20ac200 per month. As things stand, there is a yawning chasm between what parents were promised and what has been delivered to date.\u201d<\/p>\n
June 3, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Government\u2019s new maximum fee cap for childcare services operating under the core funding model is a derisory reduction that will make little difference to hard-pressed families, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly. Deputy Farrelly, who is the party\u2019s spokesperson on children, said: \u201cUnder the new maximum fee cap announced today by Children\u2019s Minister […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17780,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[396,296,540,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aidan-farrelly","category-childcare","category-children","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n