Experts are urging for new measures in Budget 2025 to tackle the 'childcare crisis' that's left thousands of Cork families scrambling to find care. Leading child advocacy group Early Childhood Ireland is calling on government to give a major boost to childcare funding to support struggling Cork parents. The group's Director of Policy Frances Byrne also stressed Budget 2025 is TDs 'last chance' to deliver for the estimated 22,000 Cork children in desperate need of Early Years and School Age Care.
This comes as families across the county struggle with the rise in creche and school-age care facility closures. Late last month, many city parents were left scrambling following the closure of Northside New Horizons Preschool - just days before the school term's start. In July, we also saw another 'vital' service wrap up East Cork as the Cobh Family Resource Centre announced they would be halting their preschool and after-school care.
READ MORE: U-turn on planned cuts to ambulance services in Cork and Kerry as Minister intervenes READ MORE: Rare Supermoon eclipse in skies over Munster but we'll have to stay up very late Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland is calling for new measures in the upcoming budget to tackle lengthy waiting lists for childcare services. She has also urged for a significant funding increase as new figures show Ireland ranks among the lowest in government support for early childhood education (ECE). According to recent reports, Ireland was shown to allocate just 0.
1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to ECE. Countries like Iceland, Norway, and Sweden allocated over 1.5% of GDP to these services.
She said: "Parents shouldn’t have to put their child’s name down for a crèche before they’ve even arrived in the world. We have the data on how many children are born each year, and it’s time for the government to act and set up a proper system to meet their needs and rights." "Budget 2025 is the last chance for this government to deliver for the estimated 22,067 children who attend settings in Cork and make a lasting difference for future generations too.
The current government can rightly claim that it has already doubled investment in Early Years and School Age Care, but as Ireland remains at the bottom of the international funding table, much more needs to be done, starting with a new financial target." Ms Byrne also stressed the need for a new five-year action plan that would focus on improving conditions for the 30,000 staff who work in Early Years and school-age care settings in Ireland. She said: "There is broad political support for higher investment in Early Years and School Age Care.
Now is the time for the government to propose a plan bridging the forthcoming Budget and the following years, outlining the level of funding which will be made available each year, and the yearly priorities.” “The Taoiseach recently announced that his Party will deliver an action plan for Early Years in Ireland. While we welcome this commitment, this plan must be long-term and inclusive of all young children from birth.
It needs to look at the system as a whole, including Family Leave, capacity planning and staffing." Earlier this year, planning permission for a much-needed creche in one of Cork's largest towns was refused for a second time by Cork City Council, despite protests from the owners. The new Múin Childcare creche was set to be built in the Westpoint Business Park in Ballincollig and owner Kate Gaffney told CorkBeo that her team saw huge support from established businesses there - with some employees even coming forward looking to secure a place themselves.
Múin Childcare already facilitates a popular after-school care facility in Ballincollig's Castlewest Shopping Centre. Kate estimates the cost of setting up a creche in the business park would have been around €250,000 whereas a standalone building could see those costs balloon up to €1.5m.
She has described the reasoning behind the council's decision as weak and says the council have failed to recognise the desperate need for childcare in the locality..
