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A crèche owner in Co. Clare has decided to close her business in protest, arguing that core funding for such businesses are insufficient to keep up with the current levels of inflation.
Siobhán Mulderrig, who owns Kidz Haven Crèche in Shannon, Co. Clare, spoke about her experience to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday morning, describing how the core funding model was originally introduced to help childcare providers to raise staff wages amid the growing rate of inflation.
However, she says that the cost of living has since risen to the point where this is no longer sufficient.
“We have no choice but to close our doors,” she said.
“We have to highlight the fact that our businesses are no longer financially viable. And if we don’t do something and if we don’t speak up, we won’t have childcare in this country, private providers like myself.”
She added: “We need an increase in the core funding or we at least need for our fees to be unfrozen to allow us to increase our fees.”
She went on to claim that there was a huge problem with staff recruitment and retention within the sector.
“We cannot get staff,” she said.
“I myself can’t get maternity leave, cover that I need for next month…I don’t pay minimum wage. I have brought my wages up as much as I can, but it’s not enough.”
She said that there was a mass exodus of workers from the sector as a result of this situation/
“So therefore, people are leaving the sector,” she continued.
“They’re going to SNA jobs and schools, they’re going to higher paid jobs. Aldi, Lidl, places like that. So, we have no way of holding onto our staff.”
She said that while the fees for her service are still at 2019 levels, “there is nothing today that is the same as it was in 2019,” adding that Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman should engage with the Federation of Early Childhood Providers (FECP) on the matter.
“On a personal basis, I’d like to see the minister come to my service that I have built up over the last 20 years…” she said, adding: “There’s only one other crèche in this town after I go.”
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