Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Kinsale has five busy primary schools in its surrounds and one of the finest community colleges in the country, with over 1,500 children attending. Community childcare facilities in Kinsale started in a living room 40 years ago but since 2011 have been run from a small Portakabin. The community playschool is full to capacity, with 45 children. It knows that it could cater for three times this number, at least, if a purpose-built facility were made available. Demand in Kinsale for community playschool places means those in charge of the community playschool have to turn away dozens of parents with children. The results of a recent survey, referring to 266 families in the Kinsale catchment area, speak for themselves, with 98.1% of those surveyed stating strongly that Kinsale needs a new community childcare facility. The council is looking favourably on giving the community-run playschool a site. Will the State, through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth or the Department of Education, fund the building of a community-run playschool in Kinsale? That is the very least that the people of Kinsale deserve.

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