Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 December 2023
457. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department is aware that a creche will not be able to reopen until May 2024 due to the recent flooding in East Cork; if there is anything his Department can do to support the 100 plus children and their families find immediate creche places for family members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53302/23]
View answer458. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is any additional supports available to the families and the services users of a creche (details supplied) which is closed due to recent flooding and will not reopen again until May 2024 with the loss of over a hundred places and is forcing family members to take time off work as a result of no alternative creche places in the Midleton area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53303/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 458 together.
I am aware of the disruption caused to a number of early learning and childcare services, owing the recent floods in Cork. The local Childcare Committee has been engaging with impacted services to ensure all assistance is in place to support both the families and services affected by the flooding.
The Childcare Committee continues to proactively engage with early learning and childcare services to identify unused capacity and explore the potential for services to increase capacity to meet the early learning and childcare needs of families in the area. This engagement will support referral of affected families where capacity is identified
Notwithstanding the pressing needs of families to access early and childcare, the safety and protection of children remains the first priority in the early learning and childcare sector. This is achieved through the registration and inspection of early years services by Tusla, the independent statutory regulator of the sector.
Registration of early years services can be granted only where Tusla is satisfied that the premises, operation and location of the service pose no unmanaged risk to children.
Tusla has been working closely with the local Childcare Committee in areas impacted by recent floods and have engaged with impacted services in these areas to help them to reopen their service in a safe and suitable premises and location.
In the more medium term, there is also wider work underway, at a national level, to address issues of undersupply, including through a new capital grant, the details of which will be announced by the shortly.
