Government to blame for Cork families being left without preschool places, TD tells Dáil 

A Cork TD has told the Dáil that the Government is to blame for at least 100 northside families being left without preschool places until next year at the earliest.

The Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield closed abruptly last month, leaving 14 staff members without jobs and 100 families in the area without childcare.

The centre, which has provided preschool childcare on the northside for five decades, employed 14 people, some of whom have worked there for more than 20 years.

Local people have stressed that Before 5, which also provided a homework club and adult classes, had long been a vital part of the community.

In recent weeks, it was revealed that Northside Community Enterprises (NCE) was to take over the running of the childcare facility, which is housed in a building owned by the local Catholic diocese.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, NCE confirmed that “it will be at least 2024 before the service will be in a position to open” due to necessary survey works and subsequent maintenance works on the building.

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Socialist TD for Cork North Central Mick Barry told Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman that the fault for the lack of childcare facilities on the northside lay not with NCE, but rather with the Government.

“The fault lies with your Government, minister, by failing to take preschools under the control of the Department of Education, by failing to provide a State guarantee of continuity of service, the Government allows a situation where preschooling and creches undergo periodic crises and then reopen slowly once closed,” Mr Barry said.

Mr O’Gorman replied that he welcomed that Before 5 would reopen, something he said was a result of additional State funding invested by Government in services, to make them sustainable, and to deliver increased pay for workers.