One childcare provider is given €26,000 but many get just €1,000 or less from fund to assist with soaring insurance cost

Half of the creches given a last-minute emergency payment as an insurance crisis threatened providers across the sector with closure, received less than €1,000.

Last month, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone announced once-off funding to creches which had seen insurance quotes soar by up to 300% after one of only two insurers pulled out of the Irish market.