CHILDCARE & FAMILY · 83 PROVIDERSCHILDCARE & FAMILY · 83 PROVIDERS ACROSS IRELAND · GUIDE PRICE FROM €64.50 PER WEEK
Preschool (ECCE) in Ireland
Tusla-registered preschools near you, most running the free ECCE hours.
A short day of play and early learning before school, with three free ECCE hours a day in term for children who qualify.
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WHAT IT COSTS
Preschool (ECCE) in Ireland: €64.50–€85 per week
The ECCE hours are free; a sessional preschool place outside ECCE is priced per week, before any National Childcare Scheme subsidy. Enter your town above for real prices from the babysitters, childminders, nannies, crèches and agencies near you.
- Free ECCE hours or paid hours
- Length of the session
- Area
- Optional extras
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026. Full preschool (ecce) price guide →
GUIDE PRICE · PER WEEK
Not a quote. Prices vary by job, area and provider.
WHAT IT COVERS
What a preschool offers
Free ECCE hours
Three hours a day, five days a week, in term.
Two preschool years
Most children take two years before school.
Extra hours
Charged time before or after the ECCE session.
Play-based learning
Stories, songs, art and outdoor play.
Getting ready for school
Routine, turn-taking and doing more for themselves.
Support for additional needs
The Access and Inclusion Model for children who need it.
Three ways to get it done
LISTED ON LOCUFY
Preschool (ECCE) providers on Locufy, across Ireland
The most-reviewed providers listed for preschool (ecce). Enter your town above to see the ones that cover you.
GET THE APP
A €10 welcome credit when you sign up and download the app — off the rate on hourly bookings.
- €10 referral credit for you and the friend you invite
- €1 credit for every review you leave
- Post a job, book by the hour, message providers — from your phone
How Locufy works for customers
Questions people ask
The ECCE hours are free: three hours a day, five days a week, for 38 weeks of the year. Extra hours and optional extras can be charged.
Once they have turned 2 years and 8 months by 31 August, and up to 5 years and 6 months by 30 June of the preschool year. The eligibility table on gov.ie shows the years by month of birth.
Typically €64.50–€85 a week for a sessional place in Ireland, before any subsidy. Enter your area above to see preschools near you.
It can ask for a booking deposit to hold a place, but the deposit has to be refunded once your child's ECCE registration is approved.
Yes. Every preschool must be registered with Tusla's Early Years Inspectorate, which inspects it and publishes the reports.
Enter your town, area or Eircode above. The nearest preschools come first, with the sessions they run.
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