'Underfunded and ignored for years': Childcare workers protest outside Simon Coveney's office
Early education is undervalued, underfunded and has been ignored by successive governments, according to childcare workers protesting outside the Táinaiste’s constituency office.
On Thursday, creche owners, professionals and parents gathered outside Simon Coveney’s office on the main street of Carrigaline to highlight what they describe as a sector in crisis.
The first of many planned demonstrations in the days ahead of the general election on Saturday week, the group is to take its protest to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin’s office in Turners Cross tomorrow.
“What we are looking for is for somebody to take responsibility for the sector,” said John Bowman, who together with his wife Lorna Leahy owns Bilingual Early Learning Childcare (BEL Childcare).
Up to 200 children attended early childcare services at their centre in Douglas.
Mr Bowman said: “In a lot of ways we are delivering Government schemes and we are inspected by the Government but they are not prepared to take any responsibility for it or fund it.
"There are many diverse voices within childcare but what bonds us all together is the feeling of neglect that we have been underfunded and ignored for years.”
Many childcare services across the country are expected to close on February 5 as early childhood providers take part in a national day of protest.
BEL Childcare will remain open but a number of staff will head to Dublin to take part in demonstrations.
Childcare providers who close without finding an alternative day for parents to avail of their services will see their payment docked for the time spent closed, according to the Department of Children.
“This Government and its approach has been so full of contradictions," Mr Bowman said.
"It's time to stop the crap and go at this properly and talk to the stakeholders, talk to the providers.
"Don’t go talking to the civil servants - there are a lot of jobs for the boys in this, we’ve people sitting in Dublin pushing paper from one side of the desk to the other, deciding what’s good for people.”
Lorna Leahy said: "We believe the sector is underfunded and undervalued. We need the Government to recognise that now we are running schemes for them, they need to step up and take responsibility for the sector.
"As the first rung on the early educational ladder, we should be recognised as professionals and paid accordingly.”
“Parents need support, we need this to be sorted. Without funding the sector, providers are going to close.”
One parent Ciara O'Neill told the Irish Examiner that she believes the new national childcare scheme is not viable.
"It's just of no assistance to parents at all and it’s adding to providers' administrative work at already stretched facilities.
"It's no assistance to the girls who are there with degrees, with more education than probably most of the working mothers, and they get paid a very poor wage to mind our future.”
