LOCAL election hopeful Eric Nelligan (Aontú) maintains that the growing trend of crèches closing for longer over the New Year period has proved very disruptive for many Limerick parents.
A number of childcare providers, he told the Limerick Post, did not reopen their doors to pre-school children this year until January 8.
“Considering the vast majority of workers were back to work on January 2, this was a decision that was very disruptive to many young parents,” Mr Nelligan insists.
The Aontú candidate for City East says that, on a recent canvas in Castletroy, a substantial number of parents commented that their childcare did not start back until January 8.
“This, the parents felt, was a few days later than they would have expected. While employees in the retail and hospital sector were back in full flow very soon after Christmas, many businesses stayed closed until after New Years Day. However, the vast majority of employees returned from January 2 when businesses reopened.
“I was speaking to one lady who told me that she had to use up nine of her 21 annual leave days just to ensure her children could be minded over the Christmas period. Nobody is saying that childcare providers cannot take decent extended leave in the period between Christmas and New Years, however extending the Christmas closure for a further week is deeply unfair,” the teacher and assistant principal at St Munchin’s College declared.
