Lack of Banagher creche facilities

The lack of a creche facility in Banagher is creating difficulties for families in the town.

Social Democrats Councillor Clare Claffey has said that parents in Banagher are very limited when it comes to care for children under the age of two years and eight months and for after school care. The town has three pre-schools in operation but nothing to cater for children under the age of two years and eight months.

She added that parents are relying on private childminders all the time. “It's always being talked about and even at the moment we have a community Facebook group and every week you're guaranteed to see a post from someone looking for a childminder for their children.”

Cllr Claffey said that it's “a bigger headache” for parents with children of different ages.

A number of local mothers got in touch with Offaly County Childcare and met with Manager Áine Brummel to see if the committee could help but there wasn't any funding available to set up a community-led creche.

Cllr Claffey remarked: “We want women to go out to work. We need to go out to work, especially with the cost of living and we need reliable people to mind our children.” She said the current funding model is not fit for purpose and suggested that the government look at what has worked well in other countries.

Cllr Claffey shared one anecdote about a local woman who has to get her baby out of bed in the morning to travel to a creche 45 minutes away before she goes to work. “She feels awful doing that. She doesn't want to do it, but she has no choice,” said the local councillor.

Cllr Claffey explained that in some cases the lack of childcare facilities can stop people from going out to work as they have no one to mind their children. “People are also working longer so you have grandparents that maybe aren't retiring as early so they're not able to take on babies.”

The Offaly councillor concluded that although there are creches nearby in Birr, Cloghan and Ferbane, parents then have to contend with waiting lists because they cover a huge catchment area.