Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

What this means

• The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is an Irish government department responsible for policy on children, disability, equality and integration.[source]
• It funds and regulates early learning and childcare services in Ireland, including the Early Childhood Care and Education programme available to families.[source]
• The department is working to cut childcare fees to a maximum of 200 euro per month, a commitment drawn from the 2025 Programme for Government.[source]
• It has active commitments to increase personal assistance hours for disabled people and to expand autism one-stop shops across the country.[source]
• The department also plans to double capital investment in specialist disability infrastructure, which matters for accountability as it involves significant public spending.[source]
• Kevin McCarthy serves as Secretary General of the department, providing senior administrative leadership and accountability for its programmes and budgets.[source]

Direct impact (11)

• owns statutory mandate
  Policy for children, equality, disability and integrationMandate
• owns statutory mandate
  Regulation and funding of early learning and childcareMandate
• responsible for commitment
  Increase personal assistance and home support hours for disabled peopleCommitment
• responsible for commitment
  Expand the network of autism one-stop shopsCommitment
• responsible for commitment
  Double capital investment in specialist disability infrastructureCommitment
• responsible for commitment
  Reduce childcare fees to a maximum of €200 per monthCommitment
• responsible for commitment
  Build a State-led childcare provision strandCommitment
• responsible for commitment
  Explore an additional ECCE hour in the second preschool yearCommitment
• holds role: Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality
  Emer HigginsOfficeholder
• holds role: Minister for Children, Disability and Equality
  Norma FoleyOfficeholder
• holds role: Secretary General, Department of Children, Disability and Equality
  Kevin McCarthyOfficeholder

Indirect impact (3)

Two-hop relationships traced through the entity above. Useful for spotting downstream knock-on effects.

• holds role: Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality → holds role: Teachta Dála2-hop via emer-higgins
  Dáil ÉireannBody
• holds role: Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality → member of party2-hop via emer-higgins
  Fine GaelParty
• holds role: Minister for Children, Disability and Equality → member of party2-hop via norma-foley
  Fianna FáilParty