Calls for introduction of community creches in North Kildare

A Labour councillor has called for the introduction of community creches in North Kildare, citing a lack of childcare places and extortionate prices charged by private providers.

Cllr Angela Feeney motioned at a recent Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting: “That the council, in partnership with Kildare County Childcare Committee, provides a Community Crèche in this Municipal District to serve the growing childcare needs of families.”

The response Cllr Feeney received from the local authority stated: “The provision of childcare services does not fall within the remit of Kildare County Council.”

However, as Cllr Feeney pointed out, a committee called the Kildare County Childcare Committee reports to the council on matters concerning childcare provision.

The Labour councillor said: “The reason I called for it (community childcare) is, number one, we don't have enough childcare places in North Kildare, and number two, childcare is so expensive for private providers, it's as much as a mortgage for families. If we provided a community model, it would give parents the choice to have a more affordable model of childcare.

“The Director, in fairness to her came back and said that the committee in the council are doing a report with regard to policy with regard to childcare provision and all that.

“I know it's not the job of the council to provide childcare, but it is in my view the job of the council to try and facilitate community childcare through the Kildare Childcare Committee.”

Admitting it is a “common mantra” she has with regard to her constituency, Cllr Feeney said the north of the county is repeatedly “short-changed” when it comes to essential community facilities, such as swimming pools, garda stations, and childcare provision.

This, she pointed out, is despite an ever-growing population in North Kildare.

Cllr Feeney also pointed out that childcare fees in Kildare are “well above” the national average, and yet the county has the lowest amount of community childcare in the country.

The Labour councillor said of her motion: “I'll keep at it because I believe we should be giving parents a choice. If parents are lucky enough to find a childcare place, it can cost an absolute fortune.

“I feel that people shouldn't be economically disadvantaged that if a parent wants to go back to work there should be a community creche there that they can put their child into, like they have in other parts of the county, and we've nothing here.

“I called on the Director to set up some kind of forum whereby I was part of a community creche action group here in Maynooth and we don't have any such creches at all in the north of the county, they have them in the south of the county.”

Cllr Feeney has requested that the Director set up a meeting with the Kildare Childcare Committee, along with interested parties including herself and a number of parents. This is with a view to bringing about community childcare facilities in North Kildare.

She concluded: “If it's possible to do it in the south of the county, it should be possible to do it in the south of the county as well.”

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