MORE THAN 1,000 Limerick children on waiting lists for early childhood care have next to no chance of getting a place come September.
That’s according to the latest shocking figures which reveal that there are 372 children under the age of one on crèche waiting lists in Limerick, and just 16 places available for them.
The figures also revealed 567 children aged between one and two years old on waiting lists for 24 available places available. Additionally, figures show 591 children aged two to three on waiting lists for 106 places.
As Budget 2025 approaches and many early years and school age care settings in Limerick reopen after the summer break, Early Childhood Ireland is urging the government to increase the number of available places for young children.
The data is based on the Annual Early Years Sector Profile Survey 2022/2023, carried out by Pobal on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth.
Early Childhood Ireland said in a statement that the shocking local “highlight the scale of the issue” facing parents across Limerick and the rest of the country.
“Early Childhood Ireland believes that every child in Ireland should have the right to access to high-quality early years and school age care, however, because of a lack of proper planning, this need is currently going unmet for children across the country”.
Frances Byrne, director of policy at Early Childhood Ireland, said that “Ireland needs a system of national and local two-year and five-year planning cycles to ensure that there are enough places for children in their communities”.
“We hear stories of parents putting their child’s name down for a crèche place before they’re even born. We know how many children are born in the state every year, and we need the government to enact a proper capacity planning system to meet the needs and rights of young children.”
To further support capacity planning, the organisation is asking the government to fully implement the National Action Plan for Childminding, which seeks to provide greater recognition and support for childminders, improve access to high-quality early years and school age care, and offer families the chance to access financial supports.
Ahead of Budget 2025, Early Childhood Ireland is also calling on the government to improve family leave entitlements, to prioritise the pay of graduates who work in the sector, and to publish a five-year plan with a new investment target.
