Pre-school scheme ‘needs extra €5m’

Ireland’s free pre-school scheme needs an additional €5m to cope with the country’s baby boon, Early Childhood Ireland claims.

While Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has reassured the organisation that the free pre-school year will remain, the organisation wants a guarantee that the scheme will stay free and available to all.

Early Childhood Ireland is the representative group for more than 80% of pre- schools, daycare centres, parent and toddler groups, and after-school services supporting more than 80,000 children

The organisation, which held a two-day conference at the RDS in Dublin over the weekend, also repeated its call for the scheme to be expanded to two years.

It pointed out that in other European countries the state provided free pre- school for up to five years.

Louise Gunning, chief executive of Early Childhood Ireland, also expressed concern that demand for the capital grant fund was 10 times greater than the €6m available.

“The sheer volume of applications is an indication of the need for building improvements in the sector and responding to this will have real benefits to childcare providers, the construction industry and the children.”

She also said the organisation wanted a joint meeting with Ms Fitzgerald and Joan Burton, the minister for social protection, to discuss measures to support lone parents with quality, accessible and affordable childcare.

“This is an issue that has really escalated with the proposed social welfare changes for lone parents and we must design a scheme that works for after school in particular,” she said.