Deputy Charles Ward said the revelation that over 1,300 Donegal children have been left without a crèche place is ‘unacceptable’.
He referred to a recent survey by Early Childhood Ireland which revealed there are 1,345 children under the age of four on childcare waiting lists in Donegal, while only 89 places are available.
Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Ward said parents are not only struggling to afford childcare, they are struggling to access it at.
“Recruitment and retention of staff continues to be one of the main issues in Donegal,” he said.
“It makes sense to bring Early Years and School Age Care graduates into the public pay system and I can’t understand why this hasn’t been properly considered and implemented.”
The 100% Redress Party TD has called the government’s promise to reduce childcare fees to €200 ‘yet another broken election promise’.
“That’s all this is for the government, but for so many families across the country, this severely impacts their quality of life.
“We know this is a crisis that particularly affects women, who, as a result, aren’t able to participate fully in society, and are often forced to leave the workforce due to lack of available and affordable childcare. This inequality has to end.”
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