Tipperary childcare staff join Dublin protest over funding crisis

Childcare providers throughout Tipperary will participate in a national protest in Dublin today (Wednesday) calling for solutions to the childcare crisis.

 Tipperary  is expected to be well represented today  as childcare workers, providers and parents  descend on Dublin.

The Early Years Alliance, which is organising the protest, has warned that under-funding of the sector has reached “crisis point” and are calling for a “sustainable solution to the worsening childcare crisis”.

Staff from Cahir Bears Childcare, Cahir are joined by Independent TD Mattie McGrath before heading off to the 

Dublin protest

Tracey O'Keeffe    of Play&Learn  at the Poppyfields in Clonmel  said the creche fully supported the protest and staff would be in Dublin to participate.

 “A stand does need to be taken. The childcare sector is underfunded  and the people working in the sector need to be respected and valued. We have hard working and dedicated staff here with college degrees who deserve to be paid more. The valuable work they do deserves to be valued more than it is “ said Tracey

 The creche owner said that the structure in which providers have to operate in had made it almost impossible for some to remain in business.

She explained that the commercial rates on their Clonmel business increased from €8,000 to €12,000 this year.

“There is a chronic under investment in the sector by the government and that has to change” insisted Tracey.

“People providing and working in the sector are not given  the respect or reward they deserve, we are not just childminders, we are educators”, she said.

Another creche owner Mary Hayes of the Lullabies & Laughter creche in Lisvernane  said something had to be done  to highlight the issues .

“There needs to be a recognition of the quality  of work being carried out, staff have college degrees, they are early educators, they provide quality care but are not adequately rewarded.

Workers are being exploited, they provide a very important service  and deserve to be properly rewarded for it” she said.

 Mary said they had the full support of all the parents  as they fully understood their concerns and  were very supportive of the need to highlight the issues involved.