Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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The Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield, Cork, closed at the end of August and went into liquidation. The centre provided preschool, crèche facilities, after-school and homework facilities, play therapy and adult courses. Approximately 170 children lost out as a result of the closure. More than 100 families were affected and 14 workers, some of whom have been there for 28 years and made a valuable contribution to society, lost their jobs.

Earlier today, I had an exchange with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, on this issue. In that exchange, I made the point that this is a failure on the part of Government to step in and say that the Department of Education will take direct responsibility for the provision of childcare not just in Churchfield but throughout the State. I said it was a failure on the part of Government by allowing a situation whereby this type of thing happens all the time with regard to preschools and childcare in the State. There is no guarantee of continuity of service the way that there is with primary education.

I will not repeat those points. I instead want to drill down into some of the details of what happens next. A statement was issued yesterday, which indicated that the replacement facilities would not be in place until, at the very earliest, the start of next year and that would be dependent on how much work needed to be done on building regulations, fire safety, Tusla regulations and so on. That information will not be known until some time next month. Recruitment is not due to start until next year. What parents want and need to know is when the preschool and crèche will reopen in Churchfield. What are people meant to do in the meantime?

A woman tweeted the other day that she was looking for childcare facilities for her child. She has her name down for 20 services in the Cork area and cannot get a place in any of them. Some people are trying to hold down jobs.

How are they meant to hold down jobs and juggle that situation let alone the unfairness to their children? A crisis demands crisis measures.

What assistance can the Department give the new company taking over, Northside Community Enterprise, so that when building works are identified, they are not done slowly, slowly but done as rapidly as possible? Can the State step in and provide alternative childcare and preschool arrangements for the families who have been thrown into crisis throughout the northside of Cork city on this issue?

Regarding the children who were to go into Before 5 under the access and inclusion model, AIM, my understanding is this model is specific to the particular preschool and does not necessarily follow the child with the guarantee of those extra resources to an alternative childcare provider if one can be found. What can be done for these parents? It is a real crisis for them.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I heard the Deputy's exchange during Questions on Promised Legislation. I am familiar with the situation having seen it in the media. I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. As he stated, the Before 5 Family Centre at Churchfield in County Cork was so much more than a preschool and a crèche. It was after-school, play therapy and homework clubs and was very important to the parents of the many children who attended it. I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, so I hope I will be able to answer the questions Deputy Barry puts to me.

While it is noted the service in question has been cited in media reports, no financial or operational detail of any individual service will be disclosed in this reply. I know the Deputy did not ask for that. Northside Community Enterprise, which already manages an early learning and childcare service, is negotiating a lease agreement with the diocese to provide early learning and childcare in the building previously managed by the Before 5 Family Centre.

Northside Community Enterprise has issued a statement regarding its progress with this undertaking and has advised it is necessary to address maintenance issues and to improve fire safety requirements to fully meet all compliance obligations under building regulations, fire safety regulations and Tusla regulations before it can reopen as an early learning and childcare service. Both Cork city and county childcare committees and Pobal are working with Northside Community Enterprise and supporting it to navigate the administrative requirements and regulations in opening up a new service.

Regarding the closure, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is acutely aware of the difficulties this has posed for the families and children who attended the facility as well as the staff who work there. However, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth does not own or operate early learning and childcare services. These services are privately operated. The decision to cease operations of the Before 5 Family Centre is a matter for the board of the service. It is not within the remit of the Department to discuss specific issues of individual service providers. Pobal and Cork City Childcare continue to work on behalf of the Department to support parents to find suitable alternative quality early learning and childcare for their children following this closure.

Deputy Barry asked about when we can expect to see the new service. As indicated previously, Northside Community Enterprise is in the process of completing its compliance obligations before opening. These compliance regulations are to ensure the safety, health and well-being of children and ensure quality of provision. When the different agencies with responsibility for these regulations are satisfied that the service is compliant, the service will open. Cork City Childcare is available to support the service to navigate these requirements.

I am not in a position to answer the question about AIM but I will follow it up for the Deputy. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, through the city and county childcare committees and Pobal, provides sustainable supports to all early learning and childcare services experiencing difficulties and through which sustainability funding may be granted should the need arise. This can include help for services with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances. In some instances, financial supports through sustainability funding may be appropriate in tandem with this case management process.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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The key sentences in the Minister of State's reply are, "However, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth does not own or operate early learning and childcare services. These services are privately operated." In reality, the Minister of State is saying we have a significant crisis on the northside of Cork, 100 families have been left without childcare, people are trying to manage this situation, hold down jobs and cannot get into other childcare facilities, and the State does not take direct responsibility for resolving the situation. This is the reason childcare and early learning in this State needs to come under the remit of the Department of Education and needs to be directly provided by the State so that the situation that pertains in primary education, where we do not have a crisis every August and September over a primary school being up in a heap but there is continuity of service, will apply to preschool as well.

However, I cannot let the Minister of State off the hook. The State has a responsibility here and Government TDs in particular will be watched very carefully by parents. Elections are coming up next year. How do they respond to this? There needs to be an intervention by the Department and the State to ensure whatever building changes happen in Churchfield are done rapidly and every assistance is given. I will continue to put the pressure on for alternative childcare arrangements. This crisis is not going to go away for those families.

I welcome that the Minister of State said she would get back to me about AIM. The children of people who have it need access to it if they get into another facility. If necessary, special measures need to be put in place for those situations. Those 14 workers are hugely valued by the community and I will be watching like a hawk to see they get their jobs back and can continue providing that service.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Department monitors availability of early learning and childcare on an ongoing basis with a particular focus on responding to the unmet early learning and childcare needs of families. The most recent data on availability shows that, on the whole, supply for early learning and childcare is meeting demand, although there are pockets of undersupply in certain areas and for cohorts of children, particularly babies and toddlers. Cork city and county childcare committees are in a position to support children and families to identify services operating with vacant places. The childcare committees also engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion, especially where there is unmet need. Both Pobal and Cork City Childcare continue to work on behalf of the Department to support parents to find suitable alternative quality early learning and childcare for their children following this closure.

I understand how upsetting it is for the families. Their children are used to a facility. The Deputy also mentioned the 14 staff who are present. I will follow up tomorrow regarding AIM and whether it is specific to the Before 5 Family Centre or whether it carries forward.