Childcare costs in Ireland, what you'll pay, and every support that lowers it

What you pay for a creche place in the Republic of Ireland depends on your child's age, how many hours you need and where you live; Northern Ireland uses different childcare supports. Babies in full-day care cost the most. Three State supports can bring the bill down: the ECCE free preschool year, the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) subsidy, and Core Funding, which caps and freezes what providers can charge.

Last reviewed

Estimate your own childcare bill. Enter your household details and provider fees in our NCS calculator to see estimated weekly support and what is left to pay.

What actually drives the cost

Childcare in Ireland is priced mainly around four things. Understanding them helps you compare creches and preschools fairly before you look at the supports that bring the price down.

  • Your child's age. Babies and younger toddlers are the most expensive, because the law requires more staff per child for the youngest age groups. Costs generally fall as children move up into preschool rooms.
  • How many hours you need. A full-day place (typically up to a working day) costs far more than a part-time or sessional place of a few hours, or an after-school/school-age place.
  • Sessional vs full day. Sessional services run a fixed block of hours (often the ECCE preschool session); full-day care covers a longer wraparound day and is charged accordingly.
  • Location. Fees tend to be higher in Dublin, cities and commuter belts than in rural areas, reflecting local rents and wages.

ECCE, the free preschool hours

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme is the single biggest saving for most families. Eligible children get free preschool hours over the school year, for up to two years before they start primary school. The State pays the provider directly, so you are not charged for those hours.

ECCE only covers the preschool session, not a full working day, if you need longer, you pay for the extra hours (and the NCS can subsidise them). See our full guide to the ECCE scheme for the age rules and how to claim your place, or the official details at gov.ie: ECCE preschool programme.

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS), the subsidy

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is a per-hour subsidy for children in registered childcare. It has two parts:

  • Universal subsidy, not income-tested. Available to families regardless of income, for children under a set age. Every eligible family can get this hourly subsidy.
  • Income-assessed subsidy, means-tested. Pays more per hour than the universal rate. The amount depends on your household income, your child's age and the number of hours of care you use, so lower-income families and younger children generally get more.

You apply once and the subsidy is paid to your provider, who deducts it from your bill, so you only pay the balance. Our NCS guide walks through eligibility and how to apply.

Income thresholds and the per-hour rates change most years. For the current figures and to estimate your own subsidy, use the official calculator at gov.ie: National Childcare Scheme.

A worked NCS cost example

This example shows the arithmetic only. It is not a provider quote or an estimate of what your family will receive. Assume a provider charges €250 per week, the child uses 40 eligible childcare hours, and the family's award is the universal €2.14 hourly rate:

  • Weekly fee before subsidy: €250.00
  • NCS subsidy: 40 hours × €2.14 = €85.60
  • Illustrative amount left to pay: €250.00 − €85.60 = €164.40

Rate checked on 15 September 2026. Your actual award may be higher if you qualify for an income-assessed subsidy, and only eligible childcare hours actually used can be subsidised. Confirm the provider's gross fee and use the official NCS calculator before budgeting.

Core Funding, why your provider's fees are capped

Core Funding works differently from ECCE and the NCS: it is paid to the provider, not to you, as a grant towards their running costs. In return, participating providers (most creches take part) agree to fee-management conditions: they cannot raise fees beyond what is allowed and cannot charge above a maximum fee cap.

In practice this means a fee freeze: your creche's advertised fees are held down and, for some services, reduced. It is why parents' fees have not kept climbing, and it makes comparing creches easier because providers publish their fees. For how the scheme works and the current fee caps, see gov.ie: What is Core Funding?

How the supports stack together

The three supports are designed to be used together, and your provider applies them to the same bill:

  • Core Funding sets and freezes the provider's fee, the starting price before anything is deducted.
  • ECCE removes the cost of the free preschool hours for eligible children.
  • NCS subsidises the remaining registered hours (for example, wraparound care beyond ECCE).

So your final cost is roughly the capped fee, minus your free ECCE hours, minus your NCS subsidy. A family with a preschooler doing ECCE plus a few wraparound hours on the NCS can pay a good deal less than the headline fee.

Working out your own cost

  1. Get the fee. Ask each creche or preschool for its current fee for your child's age group and the hours you need. Providers in Core Funding must publish these and cannot charge above the cap.
  2. Apply ECCE. If your child is eligible, the preschool hours come off the bill, check the ECCE guide for the age rules.
  3. Estimate your NCS subsidy. Use the official calculator to see your per-hour subsidy, then read the NCS guide to apply.
  4. Compare the net cost. The fee minus ECCE minus NCS is what you actually pay, compare that across a few providers, not the headline fee.

For a plain-English overview of the schemes and thresholds, Citizens Information keeps an up-to-date summary at citizensinformation.ie: National Childcare Scheme.

Frequently asked questions

What drives the cost of a childcare place in Ireland?

The biggest factors are your child's age, the number of hours and the type of place. Babies and younger toddlers cost the most because they need higher staff-to-child ratios. A full-day place costs far more than a sessional (part-day) or after-school place, and fees also vary by location, with cities and commuter areas typically dearer than rural areas.

What State supports reduce the cost of childcare?

Three main supports stack together. ECCE gives eligible children free preschool hours in the year or two before primary school. The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) pays a per-hour subsidy for children in registered childcare. And Core Funding is paid to providers who, in return, agree to cap and freeze their fees so parents' costs do not keep rising.

Is the National Childcare Scheme means-tested?

Partly. The NCS has two parts. The universal subsidy is not income-tested and is available to families regardless of income for children under a set age. The income-assessed subsidy is means-tested and pays more per hour, with the amount depending on your household income, your child's age and how many hours of care you use.

Why can't my creche just raise its fees?

Most creches take part in Core Funding, a State grant paid directly to providers towards their running costs. In return, providers agree to fee-management conditions, a fee freeze and a maximum fee cap, so they cannot charge above set limits or increase fees beyond what is allowed. This is designed to keep childcare more affordable for parents.

Can I use ECCE and the NCS at the same time?

Yes. ECCE covers the free preschool hours, and the NCS can subsidise additional hours outside ECCE, such as wraparound care for working parents. Many families combine both to cover a full day, and the provider applies each support to your bill so you pay the reduced amount.

How do I find out exactly what I'll pay?

Ask each creche for their current fee for the age group and hours you need, then check the NCS subsidy calculator to estimate your subsidy. Because providers in Core Funding must publish their fees and cannot charge above the cap, you can compare like-for-like. Your final cost is the provider's fee minus any ECCE hours and your NCS subsidy.

More parent guides

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Last reviewed 5 July 2026. This guide is general information to help you plan, it is not official advice. Scheme rules, dates and amounts can change, so always confirm the current details with the relevant scheme or with your child's school before you rely on them.