Just one of the 50 creches operating in Dundalk have been inspected so far this year, according to reports published by Tusla.
The information came to light in a report in today’s Irish Independent, who also revealed that 11 of the local creches hadn’t been inspected since 2012, with the remaining 38 having been inspected during either 2013 or 2014.
Geraldine’s School of Drama have announced a new pre-school course.
GSD’s Geraldine Kieran said demand had led to the idea.
“Following a very successful term in the Holy Family Crèche; I decided that starting in earnest a course designed for pre-school children or young children who have just started primary school is ideal,” she said.
This course focuses on fun drama activities to help develop imagination, social skills and self-confidence. Through stories and short rhymes very young children will develop clear speech and improve their communication skills. Starting drama at an early age broadens children’s imagination, stimulates their senses and helps improve or correct speech issues early on. The course focuses on all of these areas but the key focus is fun and the development of positive social skills.
The course is ideal for children who are in pre-school or just starting school as an after school or weekend activity. The class itself will run for 45 minutes.
Geraldine said: “This is an ideal amount of time for this age group to be engaged and involved. Over the term GSD will introduce set themes which will encourage learning and positive social interaction. Drama Bunnies is ideal for children who are shy, struggling with social skills or require a broader area to expand their imagination and creativity.”
The course will run for six weeks starting this month. In order to provide quality places are limited. Check out GSD’s website www.eloquence.ie for further information.
A two acre site on the outskirts of Dundalk with planning permission for a new shopping centre has gone up for sale in recent weeks for €600,000.
The land on the Old Golf Links Road in Blackrock, opposite Felda, is being sold with the benefit of full planning permission for a neighbourhood shopping centre, office development, medical centre, creche and car parking.
The 0.81 hectare site, which has already been serviced, stripped and hardcored, also has a 50% reduction in development levies from the local authority and is adjacent to a site sold for a nursing home and residential development.
For further details on the site contact Padraig Herr on 087 2601125.
Local creche Ages and Stages closed its doors in August of last year but the facility will be reopened by Women’s Aid today
The creche at Mullaharlin, which closed last year, will be officially launched at 10am this morning before reopening on Monday.
The Playroom Project, in association with Women’s Aid Dundalk, will provide full day care from 8am to 6pm daily and is now enrolling for the year ahead. It will be open today from 10am to 4pm and all are welcome to come along and see what it has to offer.
Catering for up to 43 children from infants to 12 year of age, it will fill the void left by the closure of the Ages and Stages creche last August. There will be 17 fully qualified and trained staff running the creche.
For further details call 042 9333245 or 042 9327289. Alternatively you can email childsupport@womensaiddlk.net
Local creche Ages and Stages closed its doors in August of last year but the facility will be reopened by Women’s Aid next month
The creche at Mullaharlin, which closed last year, will reopen on Monday August 17th.
The Playroom Project, in association with Women’s Aid Dundalk, will provide full day care from 8am to 6pm daily and is now enrolling for the year ahead.
Catering for up to 43 children from infants to 12 year of age, it will fill the void left by the closure of the Ages and Stages creche last August. There will be 17 fully qualified and trained staff running the creche.
For further details call 042 9333245 or 042 9327289. Alternatively you can email childsupport@womensaiddlk.net
Plans for 126 new homes at the Belfield development at Haggardstown on the Dublin Road are still a possibility.
Developers McParland Bros (Ire) Ltd have been granted conditional planning permission by Louth County Council for the extension of the planning permission previously granted in 2009 to complete the estate opposite Felda.
The plans are for 18 two bed mid-terrace houses, 10 two bed end of terrace houses, 6 three bed end of terrace houses, 2 three bed detached houses, 34 three bed semi-detached houses, 56 four bed semi-detached houses and 12 apartments in two 2.5 storey blocks each comprising 4 two bed apartments and 2 one bed apartments.
The application also includes a 262sqm creche with car parking, private open space and associated site development works.
Plans for 126 new homes at the Belfield development at Haggardstown on the Dublin Road are still in the pipeline.
Developers McParland Bros (Ire) Ltd have applied to Louth County Council for the extension of the planning permission previously granted in 2009 to complete the estate opposite Felda.
The plans are for 18 two bed mid-terrace houses, 10 two bed end of terrace houses, 6 three bed end of terrace houses, 2 three bed detached houses, 34 three bed semi-detached houses, 56 four bed semi-detached houses and 12 apartments in two 2.5 storey blocks each comprising 4 two bed apartments and 2 one bed apartments.
The application also includes a 262sqm creche with car parking, private open space and associated site development works.
Louth County Council are due to decide on the matter by July 9th.
Local creche Ages and Stages closed its doors in August
Louth has the highest take up of places in state-funded crèches in the country, according to new figures.
The Irish Independent revealed today that Louth and neighbouring Monaghan were the only two counties in the country that were oversubscribed for childcare places.
The Wee County has the capacity for 1,271 free childcare places but was 9% over this. Meanwhile, Monaghan was 4% over its capacity of 1,083.
Some counties barely fill four-fifths of their allocation and the figures will undoubtedly lead to calls for more childcare places to be made available in Louth, especially in light of the closure of the Ages and Stages Early Years Centre in Mullaharlin Park in August.
Even in the capital, just 91% of the 2,896 places were availed of in Dublin City Centre, while just 85% of the 1,330 places were taken up in South Dublin and just 74% of the 1,217 places in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown.
A member of the Ages and Stages staff speaks to reporter Elaine Keogh during their sit-in protest last night
Staff of the Ages and Stages Early Years Centre in Mullaharlin Park staged a sit-in protest yesterday evening against the closure of the facility.
Supported by parents who gathered outside the facility, the staff claimed that crèche operators Dundalk ICTU Ltd had handled the closure of the crèche badly and that they were protesting for “simple dignity” and for theirstatutory rights to be upheld.
Talk of the Town broke news of the closure two weeks ago.
Staff had been campaigning for their P45s and redundancy but it is understood that an agreement was reached late last night.
Ages and Stages will close its doors on Friday August 29th
Following the story we brought you yesterday about Ages and Stages Early Years Centre in Mullaharlin Park closing at the end of the month, a number of other local crèches have been offering their assistance to both parents and staff affected by the decision.
Pugwash Bay owner Sharon Bell said she had a number of job and childcare openings for those left stranded by the Ages and Stages’ impending closure on Friday August 29th.
She said: “I would love to help some of the girls out who will be left without a job. We are looking for staff to work in Lis na Dara and Annagassan. We are actively recruiting staff now with a view to starting work from 25th August onward.
“We also have plenty of free childcare places available for children living close to Lis na Dara and Annagassan,” she said before adding that their crèches in Bay Estate and Knockbridge were unfortunately our full for those in receipt of free childcare.
Faughart Scholars Creche and Playschool have also offered to help out having declared they have places available.
For details on this call 086 8810581.
Jennifer Bogan of Little Oaks Pre-school in Haggardstown also said that she might be able to help out parents stressed by what they will do with their children from the end of the month onwards.
She said: “Very sorry to hear the news of this closure. I operate Little Oaks Pre-school in Haggardstown and I may be able to offer assistance to parents of children eligible for their free pre-school year this coming September. Please contact me on littleoaksdundalk@gmail.com
There were similar offers from Fiona McKenna, who said: “Kidz Akademy in Greenarces opens 7.30 til 6pm. We have vacancies for children aged 12 months to 12 years. Please call 042 9357852” and Sarah Nordon, who added: Very sad to hear another childcare facility is closing its doors. We may be able to help as we have vacancies in Tiny Tots Nursery, Old Coes Road. Call 042 9326478.”
Aoife Dunleavy of Women’s Aid also offered assistance, saying: “The Playroom Project @ Women’s Aid Dundalk are more then happy to accommodate parents and children affected by the closure. We offer playroom, preschool and after school, we are a community creche so subvention is also available. For parents of children with additional needs we offer special needs assistance and also a range of supportive therapies for children. Call us on 0429337202 and we would be happy to help.”
Yesterday, Mandy Stevenson from the Redeemer crèche in Ashling Park has also extended an olive branch to affected parents.
She emailed Talk of the Town to say: “I am the chairperson of Redeemer board. I was shocked to hear the news regarding the closure of Ages and Stages creche.
“We are a community creche in Redeemer and are willing to support parents with places for their children. My contact details are 0871351413.”
Claire Woods of Louth Childcare also added: “Support for Parents is available from Louth County Childcare Committee in seeking alternative childcare arrangements. Please contact us on 042 9336364 or visit our website www.louthchildcare.ie.”
Talk of the Town 