Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield, Cork, closed at the end of August and went into liquidation. The centre provided preschool, crèche facilities, after-school and homework facilities, play therapy and adult courses. Approximately 170 children lost out as a result of the closure. More than 100 families were affected and 14 workers, some of whom have been there for 28 years and made a valuable contribution to society, lost their jobs.

Earlier today, I had an exchange with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, on this issue. In that exchange, I made the point that this is a failure on the part of Government to step in and say that the Department of Education will take direct responsibility for the provision of childcare not just in Churchfield but throughout the State. I said it was a failure on the part of Government by allowing a situation whereby this type of thing happens all the time with regard to preschools and childcare in the State. There is no guarantee of continuity of service the way that there is with primary education.

I will not repeat those points. I instead want to drill down into some of the details of what happens next. A statement was issued yesterday, which indicated that the replacement facilities would not be in place until, at the very earliest, the start of next year and that would be dependent on how much work needed to be done on building regulations, fire safety, Tusla regulations and so on. That information will not be known until some time next month. Recruitment is not due to start until next year. What parents want and need to know is when the preschool and crèche will reopen in Churchfield. What are people meant to do in the meantime?

A woman tweeted the other day that she was looking for childcare facilities for her child. She has her name down for 20 services in the Cork area and cannot get a place in any of them. Some people are trying to hold down jobs.

How are they meant to hold down jobs and juggle that situation let alone the unfairness to their children? A crisis demands crisis measures.

What assistance can the Department give the new company taking over, Northside Community Enterprise, so that when building works are identified, they are not done slowly, slowly but done as rapidly as possible? Can the State step in and provide alternative childcare and preschool arrangements for the families who have been thrown into crisis throughout the northside of Cork city on this issue?

Regarding the children who were to go into Before 5 under the access and inclusion model, AIM, my understanding is this model is specific to the particular preschool and does not necessarily follow the child with the guarantee of those extra resources to an alternative childcare provider if one can be found. What can be done for these parents? It is a real crisis for them.

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