Major shortage of childcare places in Dublin city highlighted

There is a major shortage of childcare facilities in Dublin city despite the fact that nearly one fifth of the State's under 14-year-olds live there, Dublin City Childcare Committee said yesterday at the launch of its childcare strategy for 2007 to 2010.

An audit carried out by the committee last year found that, of the 65 per cent of parents using childcare in the city, the care was being provided by relatives or friends in 21 per cent of cases. Some 16 per cent were using childminders while 14 per cent were using creches.

"This reveals a high dependency on informal childcare arrangements, among family and friends , and on childminders and highlights the importance of developing good communication channels with all types of providers across the city," the childcare strategy states.

Dublin City Childcare Committee chairwoman Rachel Devlin said availability, accessibility and affordability of quality childcare were real challenges in the capital.

"In this environment there is a child population of 75,854 under the age of 14 years. That's 18 per cent of the national child population and with that there is above average concentration of economic and social deprivation," she said.

Some 41 per cent of parents in Dublin city need full-time care with 59 per cent seeking part- time care. The audit also uncovered some unhappiness with childcare arrangements with 13 per cent of parents saying their childcare met none of their needs. Some 48 per cent said their arrangements met their needs.

The availability of childcare places was the biggest problem cited, followed by the affordability of services.

"It is particularly challenging to provide equal services to all children," Ms Devlin said. "We just haven't got enough places for children and we need to positively discriminate towards those that are not able to access services."

The three-year strategy was launched by Minister for Children Brendan Smith yesterday, in his first public engagement in his new role.

It plans to co-ordinate the development of the childcare sector in Dublin and promote the provision of quality, affordable childcare.

The strategy also plans to promote initiatives aimed at supporting childminders.

Mr Smith said the Government was fully committed to improving the quality of all types of early childhood care and education services.

He said the Government aimed to have an estimated 17,000 extra trained childcare personnel in place by the end of 2010, with 50,000 extra childcare places.