Guide · Updated October 2026
Creche fees in Dublin by area (2026/27)
Short answer: the typical (median) full-day creche fee in County Dublin was between €230.00 and €265.83 a week before subsidies in 2024/25, depending on the council area. That compares with €200.00 nationally (Pobal survey figures, published in a Dáil reply on 27 May 2026). For a full-time place of 40–50 hours, services in Core Funding can charge at most €280 a week in 2026/27. After the €96.30 universal NCS subsidy, that leaves at most €183.70. From September 2027 the cap falls to €250 and the subsidy rises to €112.50, so you’d pay at most €137.50.
Last updated 21 October 2026.
Median full-day fees by Dublin council area
| Council area | Registered services | Registered places | Offering full day | Median full-day fee | After universal NCS (45 h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin City | 359 | 15,118 | 204 (57%) | €230.87 | €134.57 |
| Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | 164 | 8,166 | 100 (61%) | €265.83 | €169.53 |
| Fingal | 257 | 10,640 | 126 (49%) | €247.90 | €151.60 |
| South Dublin | 193 | 8,456 | 87 (45%) | €230.00 | €133.70 |
Fees: Pobal’s survey of services in State schemes, programme year 2024/25 (median of each service’s full-day fees), from the Minister’s reply to Dáil question 188 of 27 May 2026. See also Pobal’s fee dashboards. “After universal NCS” assumes 45 hours a week at €2.14 an hour (€96.30). 11 services with a Dublin registration number outside these 4 councils are left out of this table.
Creche numbers by Dublin area
We count every early years service on Tusla’s register for Dublin (984 services, 42,725 registered places, 524 offering full-day care), grouped into the areas we use on CrecheFinder. Per-service fees for each area will follow once we can publish them reliably (see “How we put this page together”).
| Area | Services | Registered places | Offering full day | Council | Council median full-day fee (2024/25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin 15 | 96 | 3,786 | 49 (51%) | Fingal | €247.90 |
| Dublin 18: Sandyford, Leopardstown, Foxrock, Cabinteely & Shankill | 64 | 3,397 | 37 (58%) | Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | €265.83 |
| Tallaght & Dublin 24 | 53 | 2,217 | 23 (43%) | South Dublin | €230.00 |
| Dublin 9 | 42 | 1,811 | 24 (57%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Rathfarnham, Templeogue & Knocklyon | 42 | 1,635 | 20 (48%) | South Dublin | €230.00 |
| Swords | 41 | 1,766 | 21 (51%) | Fingal | €247.90 |
| Finglas & Dublin 11 | 39 | 1,415 | 16 (41%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Dublin 13: Baldoyle, Donaghmede, Portmarnock, Sutton & Howth | 39 | 1,947 | 23 (59%) | Fingal | €247.90 |
| Dublin 1 & 2 (city centre) | 37 | 1,627 | 29 (78%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Dublin 6 & 6W | 37 | 1,655 | 21 (57%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Dún Laoghaire, Glenageary, Dalkey & Killiney | 35 | 1,764 | 21 (60%) | Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | €265.83 |
| Clondalkin & Dublin 22 | 34 | 1,434 | 16 (47%) | South Dublin | €230.00 |
| Dublin 12 | 34 | 1,201 | 18 (53%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Lucan | 34 | 1,527 | 14 (41%) | South Dublin | €230.00 |
| Dublin 5: Raheny, Artane, Kilbarrack & Coolock | 33 | 1,226 | 14 (42%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Dublin 8 | 33 | 1,468 | 23 (70%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Dublin 7 | 32 | 986 | 12 (38%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Dublin 4 | 29 | 1,377 | 17 (59%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Skerries, Rush & Lusk | 29 | 981 | 13 (45%) | Fingal | €247.90 |
| Dublin 3 | 27 | 1,335 | 17 (63%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Blackrock, Stillorgan & Booterstown | 26 | 1,340 | 14 (54%) | Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | €265.83 |
| Balbriggan | 24 | 1,021 | 12 (50%) | Fingal | €247.90 |
| Dublin 10 & 20 | 21 | 1,085 | 11 (52%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
| Malahide & Kinsealy | 19 | 861 | 9 (47%) | Fingal | €247.90 |
| Dublin 14 | 18 | 862 | 13 (72%) | Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | €265.83 |
| Citywest, Saggart & Rathcoole | 18 | 1,025 | 11 (61%) | South Dublin | €230.00 |
| Dundrum, Ballinteer & Dublin 16 | 16 | 643 | 9 (56%) | Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | €265.83 |
| Donabate | 14 | 558 | 7 (50%) | Fingal | €247.90 |
| Dublin 17 | 13 | 705 | 8 (62%) | Dublin City | €230.87 |
“Registered places” is the most children each service can take under its Tusla registration, not the number of free places. “Offering full day” means the register lists full-day care among the service’s types. The council median is for the whole council area, not the specific neighbourhood.
What you’ll pay after the NCS
Every family can get the National Childcare Scheme universal subsidy: €2.14 an hour for up to 45 hours a week, worth up to €96.30 a week (ncs.gov.ie). Families with reckonable income under €68,000 may get more through the income-assessed subsidy, up to €5.10 an hour for babies. Try our NCS calculator.
| Weekly fee | Now (€96.30 off) | From Sept 2027 (€112.50 off, child up to senior infants; Core Funding fee capped at €250) |
|---|---|---|
| €200.00 (national median full-day fee 2024/25) | €103.70 | €87.50 |
| €230.87 (Dublin City median) | €134.57 | €118.37 |
| €265.83 (Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown median) | €169.53 | €137.50 |
| €280.00 (2026/27 Core Funding cap, 40–<50 hours) | €183.70 | €137.50 |
The September 2027 column assumes the service is in Core Funding, so a fee above €250 for 40–50 hours is reduced to the new cap. Services outside Core Funding set their own fees.
Core Funding fee caps: now and from September 2027
Most services are in the State’s Core Funding scheme, and it limits what they can charge each week. Budget 2027 lowers every cap from September 2027.
| Hours per week | 2026/27 cap | From September 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | €56 | €50 |
| 10 to under 20 | €112 | €100 |
| 20 to under 30 | €168 | €150 |
| 30 to under 40 | €224 | €200 |
| 40 to under 50 | €280 | €250 |
| 50 or more | €336 | €300 |
Sources: gov.ie, Core Funding fee management conditions; gov.ie, Budget 2027 childcare details (9 Oct 2026).
What changes in September 2027 (Budget 2027)
- The universal subsidy rises to €2.50 an hour (€112.50 for 45 hours) for children in early years care up to senior infants. It stays at €2.14 from 1st class up.
- Fee caps fall (table above). For a 45-hour place at the cap, the most you’d pay after the universal subsidy falls from €183.70 to €137.50 a week (€550 every 4 weeks). For a child in 1st class or older it falls to €153.70.
- The income-assessed subsidy’s full-rate income threshold rises from €34,000 to €38,500. The multiple child discount rises to €6,000 for 2 children and €12,500 for 3 or more (Citizens Information).
For typical weekly fees by type of care, worked examples and ways to bring the cost down, read our guide to creche fees in Dublin.
How we put this page together
- Service counts and places: Tusla, Register of Early Years Services, Dublin, August 2026 edition (published 1 October 2026), 984 services. Areas are based on each service’s registered address and postal district.
- Fees: Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2024/25 county medians, as published by the Department in a Dáil reply. We don’t republish individual services’ fees on this page. To check a specific creche’s fees, ask the service, or send us an enquiry and we’ll ask for you.
- Subsidies and caps: ncs.gov.ie, gov.ie and Citizens Information, checked 21 October 2026.
- Contains Irish Public Sector Information licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Questions about creche fees in Dublin
How much is a creche in Dublin per week?
The median full-day fee before subsidies in 2024/25 was €230.87 in Dublin City, €230.00 in South Dublin, €247.90 in Fingal and €265.83 in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (Pobal, via a Dáil reply of 27 May 2026). After the €96.30 universal NCS subsidy, a 45-hour place at those fees would cost about €134 to €170 a week.
What is the most a creche can charge in 2026/27?
If the service is in Core Funding, the cap for 40 to under 50 hours a week is €280, and €336 for 50 hours or more. Services not in Core Funding can set their own fees. You can check on the NCS website whether a service is a Core Funding “Partner Service”.
Will creche fees go down in 2027?
Yes, for services in Core Funding. From September 2027 the caps fall (to €250 for 40–50 hours) and the universal subsidy rises to €2.50 an hour for children up to senior infants. A 45-hour place at the cap would then cost at most €137.50 a week after the universal subsidy.
Why are fees higher in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown?
Pobal’s survey shows the highest median full-day fees in the country in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. The survey doesn’t give a reason. Fees generally follow local costs such as rent and wages, and they vary widely between services in the same area, so compare a few.
Does the NCS subsidy apply to every creche?
Only to Tusla-registered services that have a contract with the Department to take part in the NCS. Most do. Ask the service, or check the NCS website.