Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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684. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of funding that was allocated in 2022 to the national childcare scheme; and the amount of this allocation that was spent in 2022, in tabular form. [24426/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of early learning and childcare and to support better outcomes for children. There are two types of supports available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age:

• A universal subsidy which is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week.
• An income assessed subsidy which is means tested and will be calculated based on individual circumstances. Rates vary depending on the level of family income, a child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in the family.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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685. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount it cost the State to increase the universal subsidy under the national childcare scheme from 50c to €1.40. [24427/23]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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686. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount it cost the State to increase the universal subsidy under the national childcare scheme by 25% for all recipients. [24428/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 685 and 686 together.

There are two types of subsidies available under the National Childcare Scheme:

• Universal Subsidies are available to all families with children under 15 years old. This subsidy is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week.
• Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years. This subsidy is means tested and is calculated based on individual circumstances. Rates vary depending on the level of family income, a child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in the family.

• The removal of the practice of deducting hours spent in pre-school or school from the overall NCS hours award as of May 2022.
• The increase in the upper age eligibility for the NCS universal subsidy from 3 years to all children under 15 years as of August 2022.
• An increase in the NCS minimum subsidy from €0.50 to €1.40 as of 2nd January 2023.