Cuireann An Droichead fáilte roimh dhea-scéala fá na ciorruithe maoinithe san earnáil chúram leanaí | An Droichead welcomes good news re funding cuts in the childcare sector

I ndiaidh feachtais chrua in aghaidh ciorruithe a bhí geallta don earnáil chúram leanaí in éagmais fheidhmiúcháin reatha, tá lúcháir ar An Droichead inniu an scéal a fháil nach bhfuil na ciorruithe seo ag dul ar aghaidh níos mó.

After a hard-fought campaign against looming cuts that were to be imposed on the childcare sector in the absence of a functioning executive, An Droichead today were delighted to receive the news that the cuts will no longer go ahead. The cuts to the Pathway and Bright Start funds would have meant the loss of over £50,000 per year in An Droichead’s case, with much more being lost as a result, and they had the potential generally to devastate the community and Irish language childcare sectors. Groups were told last month to expect no further funding from the Bright Start and Pathway Fund grants after June of this year. However, news was emailed around groups this morning directly from the funders to confirm that the cuts would not now be made to their funding – in the current financial year at least.

Dá dtiocfadh deireadh le maoiniú Pathway agus Bright Start, chiallódh sin cáiliúcháin de breis is £50,000 sa bhliain i gcás An Droichead, agus thiocfadh leis seo dochar ollmhór a dhéanamh don phobal agus don earnáil chúram leanaí Gaeilge. Dúradh le grúpaí mí ó shin gan a bheith ag dúil le maoiniú ó Brightstart nó an ciste Pathway níos mó i ndiaidh Meitheamh na bliana seo. Scaipeadh an scéal chuig grúpaí trí ríomhphost ar maidin, áfach, díreach ó na maoinitheoirí, le deimhniú nach ndéanfaí na ciorruithe seo dá gcuid maoiniú – ins an bhliain airgeadais reatha ar a laghad.

Príomhfheidhmeannach/Chief Executive of An Droichead, Pól Deeds, said:

“Is dea-scéal ar fad é seo. Ní aon aibhéil í a rá go sábhálann an t-athrú intinne seo cuid mhaith seirbhísí agus gníomhaíochtaí pobail sa cheantar seo atá faoi mhíbhuntaiste. Bhí cruinnithe ag coiste agus ag oifigigh s’againn cheana féin le hamharc chun tosaigh ar na rudaí nárbh fhéidir linn a dhéanamh nó a chur ar fáil don phobal níos mó mar gheall ar na ciorruithe a raibh muid ag dúil leo.

“This is very welcome news. The effect these cuts would have across society doesn’t bear thinking about. Affordable childcare is essential if people are to be able to go out to work. While there seemed to be a clear recognition of this during the worst of the pandemic, with pro-active government initiatives to support the childcare sector, the appreciation of our importance seemed to evaporate in recent months as we were left staring once more in to the abyss.

“The Irish language childcare sector in particular was set to face the double whammy of years of underinvestment and negligence by government being compounded by these savage cuts to funding for salaries. And the fact that these services are needed to support the functioning and growth of the Irish medium education sector was also being forgotten.

“We need to keep up the campaigning and the pressure to ensure that whatever cuts are coming down the line aren’t once again directed at society’s most vulnerable families and children”.

Tara Gibney, Childcare Services Manager/Bainisteoir Seirbhísí Chúram Leanaí at An Droichead, said.

“We’re absolutely delighted following official notification that Pathways and Brightstart funding is to be saved. This is a victory for An Droichead, its staff and its children, families, and the entire community. We stood together, strong, proud and loud, and got the result we and the whole community sector deserves.

“Buíochas mór ó chroí to all who came out in support to ensure these cuts couldn’t happen.”