Childcare providers take to the streets

A large number of childcare providers battled the elements at Mayo County Council’s headquarters in Castlebar last Thursday morning to protest over pay and funding issues for the sector.

The protesters gathered outside Áras on Chontae amid heavy rain, with a number of speakers warning that early childhood providers are facing closure in Mayo if the capitation grant, which is currently at €69 per child, is not increased to at least €100 in the upcoming budget.

The protest began at the council headquarters before stopping at the Mayo childcare committee office at Chambers House. It proceeded to Market Square and through Chapel St before finishing at the constituency office of Fine Gael Deputy Alan Dillon on Linenhall St.

Lisa O’Boyle, of Bualadh Bos Early Childhood Care and Education Centre in Crossmolina, has been a childcare provider for 16 years.

She told the Western People that everyone in the sector is “so frustrated and cannot take any more” and hit out at the “spin” by Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman about the millions of euros that have been invested in the early childhood sector in Ireland.

“Early childhood care has had absolutely no rise in ten years. We’ve professionalised and our staff are all graduates. We need €100 per child. It’s as simple as that.

“The Minister is trying to erode the quality of small services in rural Ireland.

“He does not understand about the services that are run on the ground. He has given millions to huge services where the owner doesn’t work there and where they don’t know the children.

“I know every one of the 46 children in my service very well, their parents, family background and who needs more support. I advocate for children with additional needs.

“Our Government has let down our children with additional needs. I am not a specialist, I am an educator and it is I and our staff who fill those gaps when we have no other help.

“I want to help these families but it is not my sole personal responsibility to fund and support these children. It is up to the Government and all their millions to put it in the right direction.”

Ms O’Boyle added: “Twenty years ago, when I paid for Montessori education, it was €80 a week.

“In 2023, we are offered €69 plus core funding and [the Government] tries to convince the general public that we are getting more money.

“Despite inflation and extra costs, we’ve had nothing extra. The Minister is on €183,000 a year and we listened to Minister for Public Expenditure Pascal Donoghue on Newstalk where he tried to justify why a top civil servant is getting a rise. I found it so insulting.”

On Tuesday, thousands of childcare providers and supporters gathered outside Leinster House to protest for increased funding for the sector, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar describing the protest as not “warranted”.

Ms O’Boyle said she was very angry at the Taoiseach’s remarks.

“It drives me crazy. I’m so frustrated. I find it very insulting. I’m an honest woman and my books are there to be seen. I’m not making a massive profit. I respect my staff. I fully funded my own business and I need to be able to constantly reinvest in my business.

“The lack of funding means that I cannot keep the quality that I have spent years developing. My name is over the door and I have to stand over a certain quality. You can’t maintain it on the level of funding we’re getting. I’ll close before I give in.

“I take on all the risk. I supply the infrastructure and if something goes wrong, it’s me that’ll be sued and not the State.

“They want to gift [childcare] free to parents for votes but they’re trying to have us on poverty wages.”

Local councillors have thrown their support behind the sector, with councillors Donna Sheridan, Martin McLoughlin, Blackie Gavin, Michael Kilcoyne, and Mark Duffy all in attendance.

Early Childhood Educator at Outdoor Explorers Preschool in Castlebar David Donohue, was one of the speakers at the protest and called on all local elected representatives to throw their support behind childcare providers and staff across the sector.

Cllr Duffy told the Western People that he will be raising the issue at the next meeting of Mayo County Council.

“The service is incredibly important for society. It enriches young people’s lives and facilitates parents who are under pressure. The provision of childcare is essential to a properly functioning State. At the moment you have fatigued businesses at the pin of their collar.

“It’s disgraceful it has come to this position. I don’t think the Government fully understand it.”