A Donegal children’s charity which supports more than 160 families through its award-winning service has been told it will have to find new premises due to the presence of Mica in their building.
Letterkenny Community Childcare Service (LCCS) has won the highest possible rating from the Department of Education due to its services to almost 200 children at premises in Ballyraine.
“One of our buildings has tested for 30 per cent Mica,” said charity chair Eoin Gildea.
“The other building we use is now also showing cracks and signs of cracking. The state agency Tusla are visiting the site every three months as they are concerned with child safety. The landlord has addressed Tusla’s concerns with remedial repairs.”
Mr Gildea said he and his fellow voluntary Board of Directors have been very proactive since the discovery of the defective blocks and the organisation has made four attempts to relocate the Childcare Centre before it gets dangerous.
“After so many attempts to relocate and expand capacity have failed, a decision was taken to buy a site in our catchment area and build. The new building will increase capacity by 50% and will be owned by the Community,” said Mr Gildea.
“We require funding for this project. This is most urgent, we need a new building so we can relocate, the current service,” he added.
The current service is so popular there are more than 400 children on a waiting list. But the Mica issue and lack of capacity is holding the charity back.
“The proposed new build is in the region of €2.8 million plus €350k for the site,” said Eoin.
“We have launched a major fundraising campaign and we can commit around €1.2M through fundraising and a mortgage – but that leaves us well short of the €2.8M we need.
“We have started the process of lobbying for funding but we need a decision quickly, otherwise it is going to have a severe impact on so many families and the most vulnerable in our society.”
LCCS employs 28 people including chefs who provide four meals per day including 108 hot meals.
Mr Gildea said: “Our families are low/no income who depend on us to get to work, education and training.
“We are the only full-day Community Childcare Centre in the town the size of Letterkenny and the only Childcare Provider in the Ballyraine area.
“All the major international companies in the county are located close to our service. However, we do not have capacity to provide childcare for their employees.
“One major employer recruited skilled personnel at a Dublin employment fair, none of the recruits took up positions because they could not access childcare in Letterkenny.
“We have 465 children on our waiting lists , of which 132 are under 1 years of age, with parents wishing to return to work between now and September 2024.
“We cannot accommodate them, nor can any other provider in Letterkenny due to lack of capacity, resulting in families having to defer returning to work, at great cost to them and their employers.”
The proposed new building will require a new road from the corner of the Letterkenny Educate Together School to the Kiltoy Road.
The manager of the charity Geraldine Kennedy said: “Our plight has been brought to the attention of the Taoiseach by local councillors. I have also spoken to local TDs to highlight our ongoing concerns.
“If Letterkenny Community Childcare has to close in 12 months, 160 families will be without childcare, as there is no capacity in the town, parents will not be able to go to work, college or training.
“Letterkenny Community Childcare CLG’s Voluntary Board, staff, families who currently attend and those who did attend, the local community, Government agencies all support our services endeavours to relocate and expand capacity, to meet the needs of the local community, and know the importance of this service to the local community.
“We are hoping and praying that the goodwill we are showing by coming up with more than 30 per cent of the funding that the Government will see our unique situation because of Mica and steps in to help.”