Councillor Lourda Scott highlights national childcare crisis
Green Party Spokesperson on Children, Councillor Lourda Scott, has warned that the decision by Cosy Kids childcare in Kilpedder, Co. Wicklow to withdraw from the Government’s Core Funding Scheme shows a wider national failure to support the childcare sector.
Scott said:
“This is a devastating blow for local families who are now facing sudden and unaffordable increases in childcare fees. I have been contacted by parents whose costs will rise by over €800 a month. Household budgets are already stretched to the max and these additional costs are simply unsustainable. The Core Funding Scheme was meant to make childcare more affordable but is failing. It was clear from the recent budget that no serious commitment was made from the Government to properly fund the scheme and now we are seeing the fallout from that decision. This has particular detrimental effect on women, many of whom will now be at risk of having to leave their job.
Cllr Scott said that this latest development reflects wider national failings:
“Before the last election, Fine Gael trumpeted a pledge to move towards a €200 per month childcare cap along with establishing 100 public childcare facilities. Budget 2026 should have been the turning point to deliver this. Instead we got another short-term patch that made little difference to families. There are 40,000 children on waiting lists nationally, including 850 under the age of three in Wicklow. The example of Cosy Kids is one part of a much bigger national childcare crisis.”
Scott also highlighted that meaningful progress had been made in the recent past.
“When in Government, the Green Party, through Minister O’Gorman, set out an ambitious plan to move towards a public model of childcare. That vision is quietly being abandoned under this Government.
Councillor Scott confirmed that she will write to Minister Foley to request an urgent review of the Core Funding Scheme and increased core supports for providers.
“This is not just about one crèche,” she said. “It is about a Government failure to keep its promises and to treat childcare as the vital service it is. We need a properly funded, publicly supported childcare system that works for everyone.”
