As you are aware, on Friday, 3 October 2025, the Department issued a press release regarding the new Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for Early Years Educators and School-Age Practitioners. This ERO comes into effect today, Monday, 13 October 2025.
As a result of the new Employment Regulation Orders, a new element of Core Funding to support Partner Services to meet the costs of increasing rates of pay has been introduced. This new Core Funding element is called the Staff Funding Additional Contribution.
All Core Funding Partner Services should check their notifications on Pobal’s Hive for instructions on how to activate the associated Staff Funding Additional Contribution (SFAC) on the system.
Please note: All Partner Services are advised to submit a Core Funding Application Change on the Hive between 13 and 19 October. Completing an application change during this window will allow Partner Services receive the maximum number of allocation weeks available for the programme year. Any service who fails 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.
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 remains available to assist you in completing your Application Change in the Core Funding Application.
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.
