Mayo in the midst of 'crippling' childcare crisis, TD claims

A Mayo TD has raised serious concerns about childcare issues in the county.

Deputy Paul Lawless elaborated: "There is no doubt that childcare has become like a second mortgage for families.

"It is crippling many young families. While there are significant issues throughout the country, I wish to cite Claremorris, a town with fewer than 4,000 people.

"Such is the lack of childcare places that one childcare provider alone has more than 100 children on its waiting list.

"These are families where parents have obtained job offers and, in many cases, where mothers want to get back to work.

"They have been offered employment but simply cannot accept it because they have no childcare place for their child.

"From speaking to childcare providers, a litany of issues is preventing more childcare providers from entering the industry. Many are actually contemplating leaving.

"There will be no one to replace these childcare providers. Under the core funding model, rates have been frozen for the past three years.

"Meanwhile, the costs of business, energy, labour, insurance and rates are all rising.

"However, childcare providers do not have the ability to increase their rates and many are seeking to leave the industry.

There are major issues with regard to administration. The core funding model has created an administrative burden, particularly in the context of additional requests around accounting practices. This needs to be seriously looked at.

"An Amárach study found that two thirds of mothers would like the option of staying at home.

"As part of the Government’s review of childcare and the core funding model, which is seriously needed, more supports should be given to families, particularly in the early years, to support the choice of staying at home with a financial package, such as a subvention."