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

There are more than 300 children aged four or under in the Churchfield area on the northside of Cork city. Last August, a very long-standing and much-loved childcare and community centre, Before 5, closed suddenly. All other childcare providers in this area have waiting lists. The urgent hope is that a new childcare facility will open at the old location this September. However, for that to happen, approximately €366,000 worth of works need to be done and for them to be done in time, work will need to commence before May. The new management team at Northside Community Enterprises has written to five Ministers - the three Cork Ministers, Deputies Martin, McGrath and Coveney, and Deputies O'Gorman and Harris - in a bid to unlock funding. They were unsuccessful in accessing funding late last year and they are trying to unlock it. Will the Taoiseach communicate with these Ministers and tell them it is his view that this issue needs to be treated as a matter of the utmost priority?

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