Decision to close Tuam creche accommodating 120 children reversed after outcry

A parish council in Tuam, Co Galway has reversed its decision to close a child care facility which would have left 120 children and 24 staff without a premises as refurbishment works could not be afforded.

Families made a last-ditch bid to keep the Happily Ever After child care centre open after the local parish council, which owns the building, said the lease was coming to an end.

The childcare facility was expected to close in the coming weeks when the lease with Tuam parish council ran out.

Happily Ever After has been providing care for children aged from six months to 12 years over the past five years.

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The childcare facility’s owners, Sara Walsh and Claire McGrath, said the threatened closure stemmed from a “routine fire inspection” conducted several months ago that found “upgrades were necessary”.

Following the inspection, it was found that to bring the building up to the latest fire safety standards, upgrades would be needed. Discussions were held between the facility’s management, landlord Tuam parish council and a fire officer to examine the options.

The childcare centre owners claim the fire officer agreed the works could be done on a phased basis once a proposed plan was in place but the council said it could not afford the refurbishment works.

In a breakthrough on Tuesday evening, the owners of the childcare centre Sara Walsh and Clare McGrath said they had secured a new lease on the building.

“We are delighted to confirm that the finance committee has offered a new lease which is acceptable to us,” they said. “We confirm that we have secured a long-term lease on the building. We would like to thank our staff, parents, and wider community for their support. We would also like to thank the Tuam Parish Finance Committee and Seán Canney TD for this positive outcome.”