Almost 4,000 Cork children on creche waiting lists ‘neglect’, says TD

A Cork TD has backed a call from Early Childhood Ireland to improve pay conditions for early years and school-age care graduates, with almost 4,000 children on creche waiting lists across Co Cork.

Early Childhood Ireland, the leading member organisation of the early years sector, has warned that without significant investment in Budget 2026, efforts to expand capacity to accommodate children on waiting lists will fall short.

Up to 3,947 children under the age of three are currently on creche waiting lists across Cork, the latest figures from Pobal, the organisation that administers early years programmes, have revealed. The data showed that 652 children under the age of one are on waiting lists, with only 15 places available; 1,731 children aged between one and two are on waiting lists, with only 28 places available; and 1,564 children aged between two and three are on waiting lists, with only 309 places available.

Speaking to The Echo, Sinn Féin Cork South Central TD, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said that 4,000 children on waiting lists across Cork is “absolutely shocking, but not surprising”.

“This reflects a neglect of the sector by a government who is not invested in this area,” said Mr Ó Laoghaire.

“Before the general election, we had big commitments about ensuring that staff would be paid better and the high fees would be tackled, but there is very little sign of any progress on either of those fronts since then. We need to start treating childcare and early years education as a public good, and move towards a public service model.

“Staff are leaving at an enormous rate. They’re not able to make a decent living, so they’re therefore leaving the sector,” he added. “What we need to do is pay the staff properly, recognise their qualifications and abilities, and try to deliver a situation where childcare is both affordable and available.

“There are people across Cork, even for those where money is not an object, who cannot find a place, and many more who simply cannot afford it at the cost that it’s at. It’s simply not acceptable.”

In their Budget 2026 submission, Early Childhood Ireland has urged the Government to name a date to bring pay and conditions for early years and school-age care graduates in line with primary school teachers. This would begin to reverse the Cork average staff turnover rate, which is at more than 28%.