Only nine children were using €1m VEC creche

A €1m VEC creche that was supposed to facilitate a five-fold increase in affordable places is losing money and catering for the same number of preschool children than when it was based in a smaller unit next door.

The new creche was opened by County Cork VEC (CCVEC) in 2010 alongside the Youthreach facility in Mallow.

However, CCVEC did not have enough money to fund the entire budget and its attempt to source alternative support from Mallow Credit Union is the subject of a Department of Education inquiry.