Slashed childcare costs by 25%

The Green Party delivered a historic childcare budget of over €1 billion which will see an average 25% cut to childcare fees. Budget 2023 increased the minimum subsidy for registered early learning and childcare from €0.50 per hour to €1.40 under the National Childcare Scheme. The change means that a family that were previously in receipt of the lowest level of financial support will now be in line to save an additional €2,106 off their annual childcare bill.

The increased subsidies for parents have gone hand-in-hand with greater funding for childcare providers in recent years as well as an improvement in pay and conditions for childcare workers. These have encouraged providers to increase capacity while also encouraging staff to stay in the sector.