Lack of creche places in Kildare is forcing parents to take career breaks

Kildare residents are taking career breaks from work because they cannot find creche places for their children.

Cllr Angela Feeney also said that people moved into estates in the north Kildare area because they believed that a creche would be provided.

“We are in a real crisis situation,” the Labour councillor told a Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting.

Cllr Angela Feeney

Fine Gael councillor Tim Durkan asked KCC to set up a working group made up of all interested parties “to ensure additional crèche spaces will be delivered.”

Cllr Durkan said that all of the councillors have been contacted about the issue “and we see empty buildings.”

Cllr Peter Hamilton said his own family had been affected by this some two decades ago and his wife effectively gave up her job.

Read more Kildare news

“I’m watching it happen again, we need action in the short term,” said Cllr Hamilton.

According to KCC official Amy Granville an audit will be done to provide a “current needs and future demand analysis for the provision of social infrastructure (including creches) in Maynooth.”

Ms Granville also said the Maynooth local area plan will identify the best  lands and locations

where such facilities should be provided.

She also pointed out that the county development plan requires the provision of creche facilities “as part of the first phase of all new developments.”