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

I want to make a few points about daycare in my constituency of Cork North Central. Northside Community Enterprises are currently waiting on a green light from the Department for funding of approximately €300,000 to renovate the old Before 5 family centre in Churchfield. This early learning childcare and community centre was closed suddenly in August 2023 with more than 100 children enrolled for the year ahead. Its loss has been an open wound on the north side of Cork city. This centre will not reopen for the current school year but it absolutely must be ready for August-September 2025. There could be up to four months worth of renovation work to be done there. I am appealing to the Minister to ensure that the funding application is processed quickly and approved.

The New Horizons preschool at the St. Vincent’s campus on St. Mary’s Road closed suddenly at the end of this August. There were 38 children enrolled who lost their places. There ensued a mad scramble for places. Some found a place, others did not. The closure of New Horizons further underlines the crucial importance of funding the renovations in Churchfield. It is not acceptable that parents, children and staff have to undergo the trauma of these closures every August and September. There needs to be a guarantee of service of pre-schools and childcare centres across the State.

The only way this can be done is by the State taking direct responsibility for early learning and childcare. Primary schools do not close down at the start of the primary school year and nor should early learning or childcare. The Taoiseach is talking about more state intervention in childcare and making it more affordable but the current for-profit model of childcare is broken and throwing more money at it will not fix it. In Ballincollig, which is about to come into the Cork North Central constituency, a service provider recently reported 400 families on its application lists. We need a more radical and fundamental change than the Sinn Féin motion is offering or the Goverment is offering. We need full State provision of childcare across the State funded by progressive taxation on the rich and childcare that is free for all children at the point of use.

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