Scheme to support Northside families

NORTHSIDE families are set to benefit from significant Government supports following the official launch of the National Childcare Scheme last week.

Under the scheme families can now apply for subsidies which can then be used with any participating, Tusla registered, early learning and care and school age childcare service, including Tusla registered childminders.

Just three weeks after applications to the scheme opened online, a total of 2,504 awards have been issued to families in Dublin.

Senator Catherine Noone (FG) welcomed the news.

“My colleague and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone TD noted that ‘nearly 12,000 applications, relating to over 17,000 children, had already been successfully submitted, and over 8,000 awards had been made to parents’,” said Senator Noone. 

"Access to quality and affordable childcare is a continuing struggle for families with young children.

“The NCS (National Childcare Scheme) will act as a support for these families and shows the Government's continuing support for children and families across Ireland.

"Next year we will spend €624 million on childcare. Today over 175,000 children across our country are benefiting from Government childcare initiatives.”

Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell (FG) has also welcomed the official launch of the scheme and is encouraging all parents in Fingal to apply directly for subsidies to meet the cost of quality early learning and care and school age childcare at www.ncs.gov.ie

“Additional funding provided under Budget 2019 ensures that an estimated 7,500 additional children will benefit from the scheme, with over 40,000 other children, already eligible, seeing increases to their subsidies,” said Deputy Farrell.

“Income based subsidies are available to families with reckonable household incomes of up to €60,000 which can translate into as much as over €90,000 gross for families in certain specific circumstances.”

Speaking at the official launch of the scheme, Minister Zappone said: “This is a landmark moment for children and families in Ireland. Through the National Childcare Scheme, families have the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support towards the cost of childcare.

“The scheme is our pathway to quality, accessible, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare.”