Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)

My constituency of Longford-Westmeath is no different from every other one mentioned this evening when it comes to the challenges in the early years sector. Parents are facing high prices and an eternal struggle to find places, while educators constantly have to fight for better pay, terms and conditions.

The Government's amendment will ring very hollow for one area of my constituency. Further developments and investments mean nothing to parents in Kinnegad, where the Montessori is due to close at the end of June. The Minister, Deputy Foley, spoke of identified unmet demand and unmet need. She should come to Kinnegad which is a perfect example of both of them. Those parents received notice that the Montessori is to close. The parents are overwhelmingly positive about the service which has been in operation for 20 years but, be that as it may, that service will close and those parents are at their wits' end. There is no capacity in local services and no capacity in local towns. There is no capacity even across the county line. Parents who work, particularly over the summer, are beside themselves trying to find alternatives.

Westmeath County Council is only too aware that demand outweighs supply, not only in Kinnegad but across Westmeath. It will work with any new provider, whether it is an ECCE service, a school aged team or those working with children aged from birth to three years, because there is unmet demand in every single one of those areas.

I understand Westmeath childcare has been in contact with the Department. I would like to know if the Department has responded. I raised this matter with the Minister almost a month ago and I am still waiting for a response, which is, frankly, not good enough. Has the Minister responded to Westmeath childcare? Will she address the issues in Kinnegad? Towns like Kinnegad cannot wait on the never-never for a vague promise contained in the programme for Government with absolutely no reference to a timeline and no detail on a term of reference while parents remain on the phone night and day to every possible provider, not only in their own town but in other counties. That is the level of unmet need that exists in just one town in my constituency.

I could go on and on about every other town because I am not aware of one service provider in my constituency which has capacity. I know a young family who will be paying €1,200 per month for childcare, having paid €450 for a deposit for a child who was more than 40 places down a waiting list. That is a reflection of the level of need in the childcare sector and that is what the Government needs to get to grips with.

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