21 October 2026
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Only 18 childminders in Cork City and County are registered with Tusla, Cork North Central TD Ken O’Flynn has revealed, meaning families who use any other childminder in Cork cannot get the National Childcare Scheme subsidy.
File photo of Ken O’Flynn
Figures provided by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in reply to Deputy O’Flynn show that, at the end of August 2026, 18 childminders were registered with Tusla across Cork City and County. A further 79 had completed the pre registration training but had not yet registered.
Under the Childcare Support Act 2018, only Tusla registered childminders can take part in the National Childcare Scheme, so families using an unregistered childminder get no subsidy at all. Registration opened in September 2024 and is not yet compulsory.
The Minister has confirmed that a review of the childminding rules, including the barriers to registration, is due to deliver its final report at the end of this month.
Deputy O’Flynn said:
“Eighteen. In the whole of Cork. That is the number of childminders whose families can get the subsidy the Government keeps talking about.
“Parents tell me they cannot find a crèche place, so they turn to a childminder, and then discover the Budget help doesn’t apply to them. They are doing everything right. They work, they pay their taxes, and they still pay full price.
“Seventy nine Cork childminders have done the training but haven’t registered. That tells me the system is putting good people off. I want the review published in full as soon as it lands, the paperwork stripped back, and families who use a childminder treated the same as families who use a crèche.”