11 August 2025
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins TD has reiterated his call for urgent supports to help childcare providers stay viable without passing crippling costs onto parents.
His comments come as hundreds of families face monthly childcare fee hikes of up to €330, following the decision by one of the country’s largest standalone creches to withdraw from the Government’s core funding scheme.
“I have been highlighting this issue for a number of weeks and will continue to do so,” Deputy Collins said. “What we are seeing now is the inevitable result of a system that is not working for providers or parents. When the funding model doesn’t cover the real cost of delivering quality childcare, providers are left with no choice but to raise fees — and it is ordinary families who pay the price.”
Deputy Collins warned that the current approach risks driving more providers out of the scheme, or even out of business entirely.
“Childcare services are telling us they cannot sustain their standards, retain their staff, and keep their doors open under the current rules. If nothing changes, we will see more closures and more fee increases. That is bad for working families, bad for communities, and bad for the economy.”
Calling for a complete rethink of the funding model, he added:
“Quality childcare costs money to deliver — but that cost should not be shouldered entirely by parents. The Government must step up with fair, workable supports that keep services sustainable and keep fees within reach for families. Anything less is letting down children, parents, and providers alike because it is blatantly obvious the current scheme is not working.”