Letterkenny Community Childcare is to lead a picket outside the Donegal County Council offices in Letterkenny tomorrow week, June 7th as people are voting in the European and Local Elections.
It’s to highlight the fact that they, and 22 other services from all over the County, are affected by Defective Concrete blocks.
LCC Manager Geraldine Burke says this means 40% of Childcare facilities in Donegal may have to close in the next few years, due to buildings being unfit for purpose, with no government support, and no provision in the redress scheme to help them.
On today’s Nine til Noon Show, Taoiseach Simon Harris invited the groups to make direct contact with him……………..
Later on the show, Geraldine Burke welcomed the Taoiseach’s offer, but said when she wrote to the previous Taoiseach and the Childrens’ Minister, there were no solutions offered……………..
LCC Statement in full –
Letterkenny Community Childcare’s building was tested for defective blocks in 2019, results concluded the building has a very high percentage of MICA. The service urgently needs to relocate. Remedial repairs were carried out, however, they are now cracking, the lifespan of the building is very limited. At this time 151 children attend, from 124 families. We are the only full day Community Childcare provider in Letterkenny, the biggest town in the County.
We are in our 5th year of requesting support to relocate,Government Departments and Agencies are aware of us!
To date we are getting NO help from any Government agency to rebuild our Childcare Service, Raphoe Preschool is being demolished at the end of June and they have had no assistance either. There are 22 other services affected, from all over the County, which is over 40% of the Childcare in Donegal. If 40% of Childcare in Donegal have to close in the next few years, due buildings being unfit for purpose because of defective blocks, what do parents/ guardians do when they are trying to get to their employment. How do companies recruit new staff if there is no Childcare availability. Currently the Childcare sector in Donegal does not have the capacity to meet the demand for places, all services in all areas have long waiting lists, this will worsen with closures due to defective blockwork.
We are striking on Friday 7th June and closing for the day, to highlight the lack of action from the Government. It is unbelievable, Raphoe, Ardara and several other affected services are joining us as well as parents.
The intention is to picket at the County Council office in Letterkenny (Grass Roof) between 12.00pm and 2.00pm when people are voting.
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Taoiseach’s interview on today’s Nine til Noon Show in full. Greg began by asking him about the latest delay to the construction of the National Children’s Hospital………..
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