Northside heading for a ‘massive childcare crisis’, warns Cork TD 

A CORK TD has warned that the northside is heading for a “massive childcare crisis” this coming term if immediate action is not taken to protect services in the area.

Socialist Party TD Mick Barry was speaking in the wake of closure announcements from two providers, Sunvalley Montessori School on North Monastery Rd and Stepping Stones preschool in Farranree.

In addition, Múin Preschool & Afterschool in Blackpool has also expressed concern that it may not be able to reopen in September.

Mr Barry said in the event of all three facilities closing, approximately 100 preschool places would be affected.

“You are looking at a massive childcare crisis if 100 preschool places are taken away from the northside.

“Parents and teachers at the three centres should unite and find common cause in fighting to keep these facilities open.

“These services will be saved by people power or they won’t be saved at all.

“There should be no loss of staff,” Mr Barry said.

“And it is increasingly clear that childcare services will only be on solid ground when they are provided by the State, State-funded and free of charge.”

On Monday, a protest was held outside Stepping Stones preschool in a bid to see the closure decision reversed.

Funding issues and difficulties in maintaining a board of management had been cited as the reasons for the closure in a recent letter to parents.

Speaking to The Echo about the protest, Sinn Féin councillor Mick Nugent said it was clear staff and parents were “worried and upset” by the news of the closure.

However, he said there was a “determination” among attendees to rally and protect the service and he said that protesters are due to reconvene on Monday if no resolution had been reached.

He said a number of people had come forward to express interest in taking over the management of the preschool.

One such provider is Múin preschool and after-school in Blackpool.

“Cork City Childcare had said to us that it really would be Cork City Council’s decision on what way the applicants would go but they would presume it would be a tender,” Múin owner Kate Gaffney told The Echo.

Speaking about the situation at Múin, Ms Gaffney said there is a risk the facility may not be able to reopen in September due to changes Tusla has made to the registration processes for preschools and the financial implications of those changes for the school.

Ms Gaffney said she believes there is a general lack of services on the northside but a particular deficit of childcare services.

Sylvia Fahy, manager of Múin’s afterschool and currently the acting manager of the preschool, also expressed frustration at the “obstacles” the school is having to contend with.

“This is a DEIS area, this is a low socioeconomic area, we’re already underserviced, people don’t have the opportunities that they need,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sunvalley Montessori School, which operates in the North Monastery Primary School building, announced that with “heartbreaking sadness” the school will not reopen in September.

“We have been advised by school management that we are losing one of our rooms and this effectively halves our capacity. This decision is completely outside of our control.

“In these challenging times with issues already around Government funding it is just not possible for us to continue,” read a statement on the school’s Facebook page.