childcare Crisis: Empty Creches Despite High demand
A growing number of planned creches in new housing developments across Ireland are remaining empty, despite notable demand from parents and a shortage of childcare places. This issue is especially acute in areas like Churchtown, Dublin, and Tramore, Waterford, where planning permissions have been granted to convert designated creche spaces into apartments.
In Churchtown, a local childcare committee highlighted the difficulties parents face accessing care, while a resident pointed out a creche within an apartment complex has never been operational. similarly, in Tramore, a ground-floor premises intended for a creche was converted into apartments in 2023, despite a planning inspector noting “high demand” and existing waiting lists.
While some permissions have been granted for childcare facilities – such as in Castleknock – these have often been ultimately converted into housing,selling for upwards of €1 million. Fine Gael TD Emer Currie, representing the Castleknock area, is tracking these empty buildings and believes the planning system contains “gaps and flaws” preventing creches from being built and opened, even where needed.A key issue is that developers are only required to provide a basic “empty shell” for creches. This leaves childcare providers facing significant costs to fit out the space, making many premises unviable. One Wicklow-based provider spent three years searching for a suitable location, even proposing a shared creche between two estates, but was unsuccessful.
Frances Byrne, of Early Childhood Ireland, emphasizes the expense of equipping a creche, contributing to the problem. She also suggests a need for better planning oversight, with city and county childcare committees playing a more active role in assessing local needs. “Nobody is keeping an eye on the big picture,” she stated, highlighting a lack of extensive planning compared to othre countries.the situation is exacerbated by rapidly growing preschool populations, like the 29% increase in the zero-to-four age group in Delgany, Co. Wicklow,between 2016 and 2022. This creates a pressing need for accessible and affordable childcare, which is currently being undermined by these unused, designated spaces.
