Minister Foley publishes results from Ipsos B&A poll showing improvement in childcare affordability

49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school-going
children in non-parental care report that they find it easy or fairly easy to pay for
childcare.
– This latest data compares favourably with data from 2023 when 28% of parents of
pre-school age children and 43% of parents of school-going children in non
parental care reported that they found it easy or fairly easy to pay for childcare.
– Three quarters of parents in receipt of childcare subsidies from the State report that
they find the subsidies easy to access.
– 85% of parents of pre-school children and 83% of school-going children report using
their preferred childcare arrangement.
– 95% of parents of pre-school children and 93% of parents of school-going children
report to be satisfied with their current childcare arrangements.
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, T.D. today published results of a
wide-ranging survey on childcare undertaken earlier this year by Ipsos B&A on behalf the
Department for Children, Disability and Equality.
The nationally representative poll of more than 700 families with children under 15 reveal
increases in the proportion of parents who report to find it easy or fairly easy to pay for early
learning and childcare.

Specifically, 49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school going
children in non-parental care report they find it easy or fairly easy to pay for childcare. These
latest data compare favourably with data from 2023 when 28% of parents of pre-school age
children and 43% of parents of school going children in non-parental care reported they found it
easy or fairly easy to pay for childcare.

These data were gathered following the introduction of fee management under the
Government’s Core Funding Scheme, including a fee freeze introduced in 2022. Parents also
now benefit from recent increases in subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme – with
74% of parents availing of these subsidies to offset out of pocket costs for childcare reporting
that the subsidies were easy to access.
Notwithstanding this progress, findings show many parents continue to experience difficulty
finding a childcare place for their child and in paying for childcare, including 38% of parents of
pre-school age children in non-parental care who reported they find it difficult or very difficult to
meet the out-of-pocket costs.

Additional analysis of the data by staff at the Department of Children also identified key gender
differences, with significantly more females reporting that difficulties arranging early learning
and childcare had:
– Restricted the hours they could work or study (73% of females compared to 57%
of males).
– Stopped then from taking on some study or training (46% of females versus 36% of
males).
– Prevented them looking for a job (39% of females versus 22% of males).
– Made them turn down or leave a job (35% of females versus 21% of males).
The poll also gathered data on parental awareness of existing State supports. 91% reported that
they were aware that all children aged 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months are eligible
for two years free preschool under the ECCE programme while 55% reported that they were
aware that families of children aged 14 and under are eligible for financial support towards the
cost of childcare under the National Childcare Scheme.
Commenting on the findings, Minister Foley said:
“The National Childcare Scheme is currently supporting thousands of families to offset
their childcare costs.
“Moreover, the recent extension of regulation to paid, non-relative childminders is opening up of
the National Childcare Scheme to an increasing number of childminders, enabling more
parents to access State subsidies who were previously unable to do so.
“These developments to the National Childcare Scheme combined with fee
management measures under Core Funding, have resulted in tangible improvements for many
families.
“I do recognise however that the burden on some families remains high and some continue to
face challenges in accessing places, particularly families with very young children.
“That is why the Programme for Government has made very ambitious commitments in this
policy area, which I am committed to delivering on.”
Minister Foley continued:
“Results from the survey show awareness of supports under the National Childcare
Scheme, while improving on recent years, remains low.
“An awareness raising campaign, led by my Department, is underway.
“As part of that campaign, my Department will be engaging with families at the ‘Budding
Bloomers’ section of Bord Bia Bloom this weekend to discuss the supports available to help
reduce the cost of childcare.”
Full details on supports available to reduce the cost of childcare is available at
www.gov.ie/childcare.
Full details on the poll of parents can be found online here.