Wexford creches ‘bulging at the seams’ as government to invest €135m in eight new facilities across Ireland

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

With creches in Wexford currently “bulging at the seams” local councillors have requested that one of seven new “high-quality” childcare facilities be delivered to the county. Last month Children’s Minister Norma Foley announced that €135 million was to be made available for “up to eight” creches across the country with each one providing more than 100 places.

However, that number was subsequently reduced to seven as Minister Foley confirmed that “advanced discussions” were ongoing in relation to a facility at the Shanganagh Castle Estate in Dublin.

The Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) intends to purchase and refurbish existing buildings in, as of yet, unspecified locations as it seeks to deliver “thousands of places” for children between now and 2030.

It has also confirmed it will work with not-for-profit providers to design and open services, and these providers will run the services.

Speaking at the February meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC), Councillor Lisa McDonald questioned the decision to ask not-for-profit providers to operate the facilities.

“This is an industry which is 99 pc run by women and I don’t believe there’s any other sector in Ireland where you’d be told you can’t make a profit,” said Cllr McDonald. “It’s absolutely shocking.”

Keen to see Co Wexford allocated one of the creches, Cllr McDonald said she had already contacted Minister Foley’s office to enquire about how the department will decide where to locate the facilities.

“I was told they’re going to liaise with the county childcare committee,” said Cllr McDonald. “It behoves us as councillors to push for this; there’s a massive shortfall of creches in the county and the ones that are operating are to the pin of their collar trying to feed their own families let alone look after the young children of others.

"Can we bring in the county childcare committee and discuss with them where the shortages in childcare are and find out where they’re doing to assist us in getting places and creches for children? The one in Murrintown has children from all over, from as far away as Oylegate, and there are no spaces available from there to Kilmore Quay."

However, despite Minister Foley vowing to cater for “both rural areas and urban areas which are not well served at the moment”, Cllr McDonald said the lack of suitable buildings in her Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) meant that the only chance the county had was if the department identified a property in Wexford town or Gorey.

She received the support of her female colleagues, Cllrs Vicky Barron, Aoife Rose O’Brien, and Biddy Walsh, the latter of whom is currently the chairperson on the board of a childcare facility that’s “bulging at the seams”.

"There’s no capital funding to help relocate children in overcrowded facilities,” said Cllr Walsh, “this needs to be seriously looked at.”