Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Community childcare not-for-profit operations led by the community for the community stand out in a sector dominated by private provision as an alternative, often part of a wider network of early intervention and family support services. Availability varies wildly across the country, from over 60% of services in Monaghan and Leitrim to just 6% of less in my own county of Fingal. It is 13% in Wicklow. In Dublin 15, two community childcare services in two years have take the really difficult decision to shut their doors.

It is nothing to do with demand in the area. In Ireland, over the past five calendar years, the total number of community service providers that entered the sector is 114. Over the same period, the total number of providers that left is 113. That is an increase of one. Something is obviously wrong. I ask that the community model be specifically examined in the context of the review under way to reduce the administrative burden on providers and a review of core funding to support and increase community childcare services.

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