Huge Covid outbreak in Tullamore creche is "just the start"

Childcare provider groups have placed the responsibility for a major Covid-19 outbreak at Tullamore crèche and Montessori school, M & A’s, squarely at the door of the Government and have warned that it is “only the start.”

Twelve children and eight staff have tested positive for Covid-19 at the M & A facility in the Axis Business Park, and Elaine Dunne, chair and founder of The Federation of Early Childhood Providers, says the crèche owner is “distraught” having taken “every precaution possible” to avoid an outbreak of the virus.

“A major outbreak of Covid-19 in the childcare sector was inevitable, and unfortunately this is only the start of it” said Ms. Dunne, who has reiterated a call for those working in the childcare sector to be prioritised for vaccination.

“I would lay the blame for this outbreak in Tullamore squarely at the door of Government as all the decisions about our sector are being made around a table that we have no access to, and we already warned the Government about this exact scenario but they didn’t listen to us, and here we have it” she said.

As a matter of urgency, childcare providers are seeking better protection and more practical support and guidance, including high priority for vaccinations; subsidised weekly antigen testing in childcare facilities for all children and staff, and additional grant aid for PPE.

With the reopening of the childcare sector to cater for children under the early childhood educations scheme, Elaine Dunne says many crèches are now operating at “up to 90% capacity” and she says it is “absolutely impossible” to implement social distancing when caring for small children.

“Everyone working in the sector wears a mask or a visor, but that is the only protection we have against this virus” says Elaine Dunne “and we have been getting excuse after excuse from the Government when we look to be prioritised for vaccinations or look for antigen testing to be put in place, and we are no longer prepared to accept these excuses, something has to be done urgently.”

The chair and founder of The Federation of Early Childhood Providers said the Manager of M & A’s in Tullamore is “very distressed by finger pointing and unfair social media posts” following the Covid-19 outbreak at her crèche, and feels the narrative needs to change. “Instead of finger pointing, we should be protecting and supporting each other and consider mental health” says Elaine Dunne, who pointed out that a Covid-19 outbreak can occur in any business or household and is “largely unavoidable” especially for those who are looking after young children so that their parents, many of whom are essential workers, can go to work and the economy can begin to reopen.