Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

This matter relates to several crèche closures which are preventable but also illogical because the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, has it within her capacity to ensure proper funding is given to these community crèches which are run under the guise of the vocational education committees. These crèches provide child care places for young people who have returned to college or who are availing of further education. The three in Dublin are in Ballyfermot, Cabra and a brand new facility in Whitehall which opened only last year at a cost of more than €1 million. It is illogical that they would be even under threat of closure.

If these crèches close some of the people in the further education field who are trying to break the cycle by getting themselves a certificate or a degree which will give them access to the workplace, and much emphasis has been placed on transition and ensuring people have activation and the opportunity to go back into the workforce or at least access work, will end up dropping out of the system because they cannot afford the cost of child care. One of the reasons they chose those colleges was because of the child care facilities available. In Ballyfermot it will mean the loss of 23 places, 14 in Cabra and 34 in Whitehall. Other students, some of whom are in Youthreach, depend on these facilities also. If the Minister is not willing to withdraw the cut there is a danger of all of those students dropping out or at least being severely punished financially.

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