Thousands of Irish are raking in hundreds a MONTH with a major rule change after Christmas

IRISH parents will see their childcare costs cut by HUNDREDS in weeks as major fee changes go into effect.

Thousands have already received notifications from daycare centers of how much they will be saving each month once the 2023 budget changes take effect.

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Revised fees — with savings of up to 25 percent — will come into effect in January.

Some parents of children with two crèche children could expect savings of up to 400 euros.

And the average savings per child should be 1,200 euros a year, the government promised.

The universal grant is currently paid at 50c an hour – and is automatically deducted from the total bill parents receive from childcare providers.

But the government confirmed in the 2023 budget that the subsidy would increase to €1.40 per hour from the New Year.

This means that parents save EUR 1.40 per hour compared to the previous tariff for each hour of childcare used up to 45 hours per week.

Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery Kearney said: “From next month childcare fees will fall by 25 per cent, with an average reduction in annual childcare costs of €1,200 for each child.

“I know a parent from Dublin who is saving €400 a month in fees for their two children who are in daycare full time.

“The government is doing this by nearly tripling the subsidies provided through the National Childcare Scheme.

“The total number of childcare places will increase with an additional €59 million invested in our childcare providers.”

BIG SAVINGS

She added: “For parents with a minimum subsidy, this means a saving of up to 3,276 euros per child on their annual bill.

“At currently up to 1,170 euros per year, this means an additional reduction of up to 2,106 euros in the annual costs for early childhood education, care and compulsory childcare per child.

“Parents within the framework of maximum support can already receive a reduction of up to 11,934 euros on the annual fee, depending on the determination of income and the age of the child.

“It will also mean that any family that has not already reached the maximum hourly subsidy will see their subsidy increase.

“For those who have a premium below the maximum payout, the amount of the increase will decrease as they approach the maximum hourly payout.”

HOW TO APPLY?

Parents are told: “You should apply for the universal grant under the new National Childcare Scheme at ncs.gov.ie. You will need a verified MyGovID account and the date of birth and Personal Public Service Number for each child you are applying for.

“You can apply by mail by contacting the Parent Support Centre. These applications take longer to process and may affect the start date from which your grant can be paid.

“The grant will be paid directly to your childcare provider and will be deducted from your childcare costs. Your childcare provider must be registered with Tusla.”

Senator Seery Kearney said national childcare grant increases will not be reflected in fee increases — with a fee freeze on 2021 rates in over 90 percent of childcare facilities.

She continued: “The geographic split across the country indicates an expansion in urban and commuter areas where there has been significant pressure on places. Kildare, Wicklow, Meath and the four local authority areas of Dublin, Galway, Cork City, Waterford and Limerick are all showing capacity increases above the national averages.

“Last year Fine Gael’s Policy Lab published its policy paper Care of the Child, which called on the government to reduce childcare costs for parents.

“The Policy Lab process is a new way of making policy and has a clear impact on government policy and benefits children and parents.

“The core of the policy laboratory’s thinking is the participation of as many people as possible in order to obtain different opinions and interest groups.

“The Policy Lab met with parents, childcare workers and child carers, all of whom commented on the report’s recommendations.

“According to Fine Gael’s Policy Lab, there is clear evidence that investing in early childhood care pays off significantly, paying a greater dividend than at any other point in life.

“The changes, effective next month, will make a real and meaningful difference for families across the country and are an extremely important step in making childcare more affordable and accessible.”