Tag Archives: Clare childcare

Small childcare providers are operating at a loss and are worse off under the new Government scheme, Deputy Violet Anne-Wynne (Ind) has warned. Sinn Féin Deputy Kathleen Funchion tabled a motion in the Dáil recently calling on the Government to cut childcare fees for families by two thirds from 2022 levels, to make them affordable for parents by further increasing public investment; and allocate additional funding to provide fair pay for professionals working in the childcare sector. Deputy Wynne welcomed a statement from Minister for Children, Roderick O’Gorman (GP) that more work needs to be done to improve childcare services, which she said couldn’t be overstated. Stating the investment in childcare is coming from a very low base, the Independent Deputy stressed the reform required is far bigger than last year’s expenditure. “Inflation has increased exponentially in the three-year period from May 2020 to May 2023 while the core funding has risen only by 6% in that period,” she said. …

Fears have been expressed about the viability of the early childcare education sector after Clare pre-school facilities were “snubbed” and “discriminated against” in the €11 Billion 2023 Budget. Concern about the lack of adequate funding for Clare pre-schools has been expressed by Deputy Michael McNamara in his Budget speech. “The so-called universal payment towards the cost of childcare is not universal but rather relates to everybody who comes through the national childcare scheme. “I accept that is a lot of people, but it is not everybody. There is no sort of tax credit system, such as that which exists in the UK, towards the cost of childcare, so it is not going to be universal, even if it was flagged as such by the line Minister, Deputy (Roderic) O’Gorman.” Donna McNamara who provides early education to 11 children in the Tiny Tots Montessori/Preschool Ennis said the government provided no extra funding in the Budget on Tuesday to Early Childhood Care …

THE LACK of access to affordable childcare has been described by a North Clare councillor as “a perfect storm”. Councillor Shane Talty told the July meeting of the local authority that many private providers are opting out to the sector due to the level of red tape. He said that while much of the public debate focuses on affordability, availability “is rapidly becoming a greater obstacle for parents”. The Ennistymon man called on the Minister for Children to address the affordability issue, as a matter of urgency. “This is an issue that has ballooned over last 12 months,” Councillor Talty told the meeting. “We have a growing population and virtually full employment and there is a huge demand for childcare. We have some private and some government-funded, community services where the waiting lists are running into the hundreds.” The Fianna Fáil member said that many private operators now seem to be leaving the sector. “This is a perfect storm,” he …