‘Discriminatory’ childcare funding hits small creches

THIS paper has long called for Government intervention in childcare. It is beyond ridiculous the costs that working parents have to bear to contribute positively to an economy that is at full employment – for the moment at least. The costs in many cases represent as much as a second mortgage if the household dares to have more than one dependent child. In fairness to this Government, it seems to recognise that this is a major issue for parents – and voters – and has made significant moves to ameliorate these costs for a large number of parents.

But its interventions have not been without collateral damage, it seems. We reveal today how the increase in funding is actually seeing more creche closures than the same period last year – which already had quite a high rate of services closing down compared to new services opening.

Creche owners say the Government’s new €221m core funding scheme, which came into effect last month, discriminates against small operators and those providing only the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme because incentives are restricted to those who offer a full-time programme.

And childcare services in rural Ireland particularly are speaking out, with one Co. Galway Montessori owner saying rural services will be decimated under the new funding programme.

Bernadine McElroy is quoted in today’s paper saying: ‘They want us to go big or go home. And that might work in Dublin but for small operations in rural

Ireland, it won’t work and you’re going to see a huge crisis in childcare in the country.’

The Federation of Early Childhood Providers (FECP) suggests that some facilities will now receive less than they did previously.

FECP chairwoman Elaine Dunne estimates around 500 members of the childcare federation will close ECCE services, leaving thousands of parents across the country without childcare.

More than 12,000 parents have signed a petition calling on the Government to adequately fund local childcare.

Last week, up to 500 ECCE providers closed their doors to protest outside the Dáil over a lack of funding.

The political will – and the resources – is finally there to tackle childcare.

Is there any reason why, in a modern European democratic state, childcare costs can’t be tax deductible as they are in several other countries?

There may well be. But if so, we would suggest that our politicians redouble their efforts to deliver a low-cost, quality childcare model that works for all.

Because the cure can’t be worse than the disease.

Just who are the Cop 55?

FOR three weeks now, we have been asking the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications for the names of the 55 Irish delegates to the COP 27 summit in Egypt and the reasons their presence there is warranted.

However, the department seems incapable of giving straight answers to simple questions. The failure to engage in a transparent manner could lead a cynic to conclude that this is a jolly embarked upon by those more interested in getting a statusheavy laminated access card on a lanyard than effecting actual change.

But even laying such cynicism aside, a lack of transparency is inherently wrong. And the minister would do well to note that this newspaper and its readers will not stand for it.