Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Only 8,400 took their places. The Irish Independent, on its front page on 20 May, referred to a new crisis in childcare because crèches are turning babies away. There is a severe shortage of crèche places for babies and toddlers because of the success of the free preschool programme for three to five year olds but Teresa Heaney, the chief executive of Early Childhood Ireland, stated, "The second preschool year cannibalised places for younger children". The Department has acknowledged the pressures and the capacity problems but mums and dads cannot find places for children, which is having an impact on mums and dads returning to the workplace. This is a hugely significant issue and it is kicked around at election time by people who do not understand the nuances of what is happening. It is having a detrimental effect, which feeds into the exorbitant costs which people are facing. It is almost a premium thing to get a child into an available place, before we even get into the issue of quality.