It’s claimed there are hundreds on waiting lists to access childcare in Clare.
Ennistymon Fianna Fáil Councillor Shane Talty is calling on the Minister for Children to address the lack of availability in the early childcare sector.
At this month’s meeting of the local authority, Ennistymon Fianna Fail Councillor outlined the severity of the capacity issues in Clare’s childcare provision.
Local representatives heard how many facilities have hundreds on their waiting list and how some have even stopped taking names.
Councillor Shane Talty feels that while much debate has centred around the affordability of childcare services, that the greater obstacle for parents at present is availability.
Calls have been made for Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman to address the crisis.
Councillor Talty says in order to sustain our economy, it must be underpinned by a working childcare sector.
A local mother says that many parents are struggling to find any facility that can mind their children.
Susan is a mother to a girl of school-going age and a baby daughter – with both having to change childminder this year.
Susan has only been able to secure an after-school childminder for her eldest daughter during term time – meaning she’ll have no childcare during the school holidays.
She’s also been forced to move her youngest child due to capacity issues in her existing creche.
Despite the childcare services she’s managed to secure not fully meeting their needs, Susan counts themselves lucky.
The Manager of the Clare Family Resource Centre in Ennis says the current difficulties in securing childcare are down to ill treatment of the sector.
Maureen Keane says that the industry was well supported by the government during the Covid-19 crisis but things have now returned to how they were pre-pandemic.
Maureen insists that unless the sector is valued by the state, that these issues will continue.
Listen back to the full interview here:
