Grandparents in Kilkenny and Carlow in line for new child minding payments

Grandparents who help mind their grandchildren could be in line for a €1,000 annual payment under new budget proposals.

The Independent Alliance called for the ‘Grandparent and Grandchild Reimbursement Scheme’ in their pre budget meeting with the Finance Minister.

The self-assessed payment would be available to all grandparents who help out with childcare for more than ten hours a week.

There have been previous calls to extend childcare payments to grandparents as creche facilities and other childcare practices continue to see costs on parents rise.

Those calls were rejected by Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone in 2016.