Dear Service Provider,
On 3 October 2025, Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon, announced in a press release that a new type of funding called the ‘Staff Funding Additional Contribution’ will be added for centre-based services. This will take effect from 13 October 2025, when the new Employment Regulation Order (ERO) is approved.
What date did the ERO come into effect?
The ERO came into effect the 13 October 2025. Partner Services who failed to complete an application change between 13 October and 19 October will receive a reduced number of allocation weeks for the Staff Funding Additional Contribution. Backdating will not be permitted.
What am I required to do to avail of the Staff Funding Additional Contribution?
To avail of the Staff Funding Additional Contribution for the 2025/2026 Core Funding Programme Year, eligible Partner Services must submit an Application Change input a Change Effective Date in the “Staff Member and/or Capacity Change Effective Date” field.
Application Changes functionality is available throughout the programme year and any increase in the Staff Funding Additional Contribution will be effective from the Application Change first ‘Submitted On’ date or the most recent change effective date, whichever is the later.
Where can I find further information about the Staff Funding Additional Contribution?
Further information about the Staff Funding Additional Contribution can be found in Schedule 3 and Schedule 2, Section 3.7 to 3.8, of the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2025/2026.
What Review should Partner Services carry out to ensure Grant Values are correct during an application change, before submitting?
It is important that on the summary page of your Core Funding application, before submitting your Application Change, that you review the information submitted as part of your Application Change and review the grant values associated with the Staff Funding Additional Contribution.
If your service requires support, additional resources are available under the Core Funding Documents and Help and Support sections on the Early Years Hive. Your local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) also remain available to assist you in completing your Core Funding Application Module.
If you require any further assistance or clarification on any of the above, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre (EYPC) by raising a Service Request.
Regards,
The Early Years Team.