Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1417. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to announcements in Cork recently regarding the closure of childcare facilities; and his plans to ensure that every child has a preschool place in Cork city in September 2022. [41815/22]
View answerCork CC has been working closely with Pobal and the ICM Development Coordinator for Cork city to identify alternative arrangements for services and families affected by closures. Together, Cork CC and Pobal have identified services at risk of closure and have set out a plan with future steps to ensure that Cork residents have continued access to childcare provision. This includes supporting new providers due to open from September, and finding alternative service providers to operate from existing premises.
Given that ELC and SAC services are provided by private enterprises, the Department is not involved in decisions around the day to day running of such services and any decision to close is ultimately a matter for the service provider and, in this case, the building owner.
Notwithstanding this, the Department oversees a case management process, through which CCC and Pobal work together to provide support to early learning and childcare services experiencing difficulties. Case management assistance can include specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.
Financial supports may also be accessed through the case management process following a financial assessment. Currently, this support is available to community services to assist with the operational costs associated with a sudden need to move premises.
From the autumn, a new strand of the Sustainability Fund connected to Core Funding will operate. It will be open to both private and community providers who are in contract for Core Funding. As with previous strands of the Sustainability Fund, it will focus on operational as well as financial supports to assist services to manage their immediate difficulties and transition to sustainability.
Any early learning and childcare service who is at risk of losing their premises in a school or elsewhere is therefore encouraged to contact their local CCC as soon as possible.
