Creche funds slashed by 90%

THE Government has slashed its promised investment in community creches by 90%.

Just €11 million is to be spent by the Government on capital works at community creches next year – compared with the €125 million promised.

The National Childcare Investment Programme announced in 2008 it would spend €125 million on capital projects at community creches in 2009, but by autumn, applications for just €85 million of grants were sanctioned by Pobal, who run the NCIP for the department.