Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

Like the previous speaker, people have been contacting me from Ballincollig and surrounding areas to outline how they cannot get after-school placements or crèche facilities for their children. They are searching in mid-Cork and coming in to the city. I spoke to a lady recently who said that she had secured a childminder for the summer but that if she does not have a crèche and after-school facilities to mind her child in September, she will have to give up work. This lady and her husband must decide which of them will give up work because they cannot find care for their child in a crèche or somewhere after school, because they have other children as well. These are people who want to work and are doing everything right. The situation they find themselves in is unbelievable. One of them will have to give up work come September or the end of August, when the kids go back to school. What a situation they are going to be in.

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