Over 500 children on childcare waiting list
Up to 520 children under the age of three remain on waiting lists in County Roscommon for a childcare place.
Of those waiting for an Early Years place 100 are under one, 208 are one-two years old and 214 are 2-3 years old.
The waiting list figures from Pobal’s Annual Sector Profile Survey also shows that early years and school age care settings in County Roscommon are losing 18.9% of their staff each year.
Figures have further revealed that parents in the county can expect to pay from €185 up to €205 each week for full day care in a creche.
Commenting on the latest figures, Frances Byrne, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, said that "thenumber of families struggling to find a place for their child or reconsidering their own working arrangements because of a lack of provision can no longer be ignored and simply should not be acceptable to us as a wealthy, developed nation".
Recently Deputy Claire Kerrane called for Boyle to be included in the new state-led Early Learning and Childhood capital programme saying that in the Boyle Urban and Rural area there were there are just 20 childcare places per 1,043 households.
