The maximum monthly fee a Core Funding crèche can charge for a child up to senior infants falls from €735 to €550 from September 2027, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers announced in Budget 2027 on 6 October. The cut does not arrive for another ten months, and parents have a nearer problem: a 24-hour public service strike on Thursday 12 November that is expected to close schools, as the 14 October strike did.

What the €550 cap is, and who it covers

The €550 figure is the Band E cap, for 40 to 50 hours of care a week, and it applies only to services signed up to the State's Core Funding scheme, the Irish Times explained on 7 October. In weekly terms the maximum Band E fee falls from €280 to €250 before subsidy; Band F, for more than 50 hours, falls from €336 to €300 a week.

Minister for Children Norma Foley told the Irish Examiner the €735 figure relates to "parents who are paying the highest fees at this point" and that the cap does not reach facilities outside Core Funding or children on 50-hour schemes. The Government puts the saving at €2,220 per child per year.

The Irish Examiner's analysis noted that around 7% of providers sit outside Core Funding, that these are sometimes the only option locally, and that about 900 providers raised fees after the 2023 subsidy cut. Foley said the delay was not her choice, describing it as "the package that we got".

NCS subsidy rises to €2.50 an hour

The universal National Childcare Scheme subsidy rises from €2.14 to €2.50 an hour for children up to senior infants, payable on up to 45 hours a week, the Irish Times reported. For a family on a full-time Band F place the paper's worked example gives €300 a week less €112.50 subsidy, about €750 a month from September 2027, a saving of at least €209 a month.

Families with household income below €36,500 can get up to €5.10 an hour, and the Government says a family with a young child in full-time crèche could save up to €1,000 a year from the subsidy change. Core Funding itself gets an extra €170 million, a 35% rise, the Irish Examiner reported.

The June 2026 figures from the Department of Children show the scale of Core Funding: over 4,640 services, more than 93% of those eligible, are in the scheme for 2026/27, with €480 million allocated this year. Most parents already pay below the caps, and the fee freeze introduced in 2022 continues.

Childminders: €20,000 tax-free, Tusla deadline paused

Childcare Services Relief, the tax exemption for childminders working from home, rises by €5,000 to €20,000 a year, the Irish Times Budget summary says. Childminding Ireland had sought €30,000, and its Mairead Hurley told the Irish Farmers Journal "we don't believe the €20,000 limit announced will be enough for most childminders".

Foley also announced a pause in the requirement for childminders to register with Tusla by September 2027, the Farmers Journal reported; Childminding Ireland says only 127 have registered against a Government estimate of 13,000 childminders nationally.

Family payments from January

Child Support Payment rises by €6 a week from January, to €64 for a child under 12 and €84 for a child aged 12 or over, according to RTÉ's Budget summary. Working Family Payment income thresholds rise by €30 a week, and the minimum wage goes to €14.94 an hour.

School strikes: 12 November is the next closure

Unions confirmed a 24-hour national public service strike for Thursday 12 November after rejecting a Government offer worth 7.75% over two and a half years, RTÉ reported on 4 November. The 14 October strike involved more than 300,000 workers and closed schools, cancelled driving tests and most court hearings, The Journal reported; unions say they will intensify work-to-rule afterwards.

In October, about 20,000 ASTI second-level teachers were directed to strike on 21 October, INTO members were directed to take two strike days and TUI action began on 12 October, the Irish Examiner reported on 8 October. Talks with a Government-appointed group chaired by WRC chair Kevin Foley resumed on 3 November and continue this week.

What it means for you

If your child is in a crèche, ask the manager now whether it is in Core Funding and which fee band you are on; nothing changes before September 2027, and if the service is outside the scheme the cap will not apply to you. Make sure your National Childcare Scheme application is in place so the higher subsidy applies from next September.

For 12 November, assume primary and secondary schools will close unless your school says otherwise, and line up a childminder, a relative or a strike-day camp this week; after-school and holiday-camp providers fill fast once a date is confirmed. You can find childminders, babysitters and after-school care near you on Locufy.

For providers: tell parents in writing whether you are in Core Funding and what the September 2027 caps mean for their band. Childminders should note the €20,000 relief from January and the paused Tusla deadline, and anyone offering strike-day, midterm or Christmas camps should publish dates, hours and prices now.

Key dates

• 12 November 2026: 24-hour public service strike; schools expected to close
• January 2027: Child Support Payment €64/€84 a week; childminder relief €20,000; minimum wage €14.94
• September 2027: crèche fee cap €550 a month; NCS subsidy €2.50 an hour
• September 2027: Tusla registration deadline for childminders paused

Sources

• Irish Examiner — Budget 2027: Cap on childcare fees will not apply to facilities outside of Core Funding model
• Irish Examiner — Devil is in the detail of Budget 2027's increase to the childcare subsidy
• The Irish Times — Budget 2027's childcare package has triggered storm of protest from parents. Here's why
• The Irish Times — Is my €1,000 monthly childcare bill really falling to €550?
• The Irish Times — Budget 2027 main points
• RTÉ — At a glance: Key takeaways from Budget 2027
• gov.ie — Minister Foley announces details of maximum fee caps alongside over €480 million for Core Funding Year 5
• Irish Farmers Journal — Budget measures fall short as childcare crisis continues
• RTÉ — Talks to continue over dispute on public sector pay deal
• The Journal — Do you support another day of public sector strike action?
• Irish Examiner — Pickets expected outside schools as 20,000 teachers prepare for second strike

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