Early Years and School Age Care in Ireland: Progress and Priorities

Early Years and School Age Care policy in Ireland has entered 2026 with significant ambition but uneven delivery. While there have been some renewed policy activity and action plans, progress has been slower and more fragmented than required to address long‑standing structural problems. Many of the challenges identified under First 5—including unequal access, workforce sustainability, capacity gaps, and affordability—remain only partially addressed. The gap between policy intent and lived reality for children, families and providers continues to raise concerns about pace, prioritisation and the State’s ability to move beyond incremental reform towards a genuinely rights‑based, sustainable Early Years and School Age Care system.

A central backdrop to current progress is the publication of Shaping the Future: Early Years Action Plan and Simplify to Support Action Plan by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality in December 2025. These plans established a phased reform pathway, with Phase 1 focused on 2026 delivery and Phase 2 (2027–2029) intended to drive more structural change. Together, they are intended to frame government ambition to deliver an affordable, accessible and high‑quality Early Years and School Age Care system. The recent consultations, facilitated by the City and County Childcare Committees, have been welcome and potentially significant.

Affordability, Access and Children’s Rights

Improving affordability remains a core government priority in 2026. In Securing Ireland’s Future, the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to further reductions in parental fees through a combination of tighter fee caps under Core Funding and significant reform of the National Childcare Scheme. From September 2026, income thresholds for National Childcare Scheme income‑assessed subsidies will increase.

These measures represent tangible progress towards reducing financial barriers to participation and advancing children’s rights to development, inclusion and equal opportunity. However, affordability targets articulated at Government level, such as achieving a €200 per month benchmark over time, remain medium‑term goals and will require sustained public investment beyond the current budgetary cycle.

Workforce, Pay and Sustainability

Workforce sustainability continues to be one of the most significant policy challenges facing Early Years and School Age Care. The implementation of statutory pay through the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) mechanism marked a considerable step forward for workforce conditions and professional recognition. However, it has also reinforced the system’s reliance on an annual negotiation process, which has often stalled.

From a First 5 and children’s rights perspective, a stable, well‑remunerated workforce is essential to quality, continuity of care, and positive outcomes for children. Nonetheless, challenges persist around recruitment and retention, clear career pathways, and the absence of long‑term workforce supports such as pensions. The First 5 commitment to a graduate-led workforce by 2028 is undermined by reliance on the ERO, and despite the Graduate Premium, as staff turnover rates continue to bear out.

Quality, Regulation and System Reform

Through the Simplify to Support Action Plan, the government has explicitly acknowledged the cumulative administrative burden placed on providers and has committed to streamlining programmes, improving digital systems, and embedding “once‑only” data capture. A key commitment is the development of a single, consolidated regulatory framework covering both Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services.

Progress has also been confirmed on the introduction of comprehensive School Age Care regulations, addressing long‑standing gaps in oversight and quality assurance for this part of the system. While these commitments are widely welcomed, their impact will depend on delivery timelines, implementation capacity, and the extent to which reform is adequately resourced in practice.

Capacity, Capital Investment and Planning

Capacity constraints remain a persistent feature of Early Years and School Age Care in Ireland, particularly in areas of socio‑economic disadvantage, some rural areas, and rapid population growth. Last month, the Minister announced a €10 million Building Blocks Extension Phase 2 capital scheme, supporting expansion, refurbishment and reconfiguration of services participating in Core Funding.

There are also plans to develop 8 ‘State-led’ services this year, which we hope the Minister will update the Oireachtas about soon.

Implications for Budget 2027

Taken together, current developments suggest meaningful progress but also underline unresolved structural challenges within Early Years and School Age Care. Budget 2026 was a big disappointment. So, Budget 2027 will need to a critical moment for this government and serious developments in the area of workforce in particular will be needed.

A rights‑based, evidence‑informed approach is essential if Ireland is to move beyond incremental reform and deliver a truly accessible, high‑quality, inclusive and sustainable Early Years and School Age Care system for all children.

This was the vision underlying the relevant First 5 commitments, and there are just two and a half years left until they can be completed. Minister Foley and her Cabinet colleagues should examine their Budget 2027 plans against those promises and ensure they are prioritised, so their achievement is guaranteed.

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