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

When the Before 5 Family Centre was closed suddenly last August, the community lost a facility it had enjoyed for 50 years. It lost a pre-school, an after-school service, childcare provision, play therapy and adult services. More than 100 parents lost out directly. More than 150 children lost out directly and 14 workers lost out directly. There are three other childcare providers in the area and all of them have lengthy waiting lists. There are 303 children in the Churchfield area aged four years and under. This community is crying out for the restart of these services.

I listened with care to the Minister's reply. It is a carbon copy of what the people in that community were told in the middle of March, at the time of the Minister's visit to Cork. I hoped for an update that showed some degree of progress in the past five weeks. Perhaps in his reply the Minister might be able to give a bit more detail on any progress since the last report that was given. This is moving at a snail's pace.

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