Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 February 2024
437. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the recent announcement by Tir Na Nóg preschool in Castlepark, Ballincollig that it will soon close; the steps his Department is taking to ensure that childcare provision will be retained at the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5148/24]
View answerEnsuring high-quality early learning and childcare is affordable and accessible to all children and, in particular, children from vulnerable backgrounds, is a key priority for Government.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers with early learning and childcare matters.
The Deputy may also be aware that the network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion, particularly where there is unmet need.
My understanding is that Cork City Childcare Committee has offered assistance to the service identified including through supporting parents to find alternative places and engaging with the leaseholders of the site to support them finding an alternative childcare provider.
Where services close, City/County Childcare Committees have successfully supported the reopening of closed services, a recent example being the Before 5 Family Centre in Cork. In the event of closures, City/County Childcare Committees also assist parents with sourcing alternative early learning and childcare places where possible.
Furthermore, for any service who is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability, special supports are available from my Department and can be accessed through local City and County Childcare Committees (CCC). Once a service engages with their local CCC they will be able to avail of supports through the case management process.
Through this process, local CCCs and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to ELC and SAC services experiencing difficulties. This support can take the form of general operational supports, assisting with interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to the individual circumstances of a service. In some instances, financial supports may be deemed appropriate in tandem with the case management process.
Financial supports, which may also be accessed through the case management process, are available to all Core Funding Partner Services, both community and private, who are experiencing financial difficulty, following a financial assessment by Pobal. If any service would like to avail of advice or supports on a concern regarding their sustainability, they are encouraged to reach out to their local CCC. Contact details for their local CCC can be found at www.myccc.ie.
Any parent queries can be directed to Cork City Childcare Committee (phone: 021 4310500, email: info@corkcitychildcare.ie).
