Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

The Government is closing down early years childhood education facilities throughout the country. In 2019, there were 77 net closures; in 2020, there were 70; in 2021, there were 62; last year, on my last count, there were 80 net closures; and this year they are closing by the week. Currently, early years providers are suffering greatly. They have come to the gates of the Dáil to protest again about what is happening. Yes, the Minister has put €212 million into the sector, but where is it going? Some of these providers are getting less per child now than they did 20 years ago. Money is going to the large chains while the small and medium-sized providers are not getting it. Those providers are going into debt, those workers are being laid off and those children and their parents do not have anywhere in their home towns to send their children to. The Minister shakes his head when asked this question in the House, but these businesses are not closing for the craic. They are not doing it for the good of their health.

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