Parents facing huge challenge finding childcare as availability of Baby Rooms fall – Currie

A 25% drop in the number of childcare services providing Baby Rooms in the past three years has been described as concerning by a Fine Gael TD.

Dublin West Deputy Emer Currie says the Minister for Children needs to take action to reverse the trend.

Deputy Currie has obtained figures from the Department of Children which show the number of creches providing childcare for babies under one has fallen from 643 in 2022 to 482 in 2025.

“This is a real source of anxiety for parents. Basic maternity leave lasts for 26 weeks. In the absence of your employer topping this up, many women cannot afford to remain at home for longer as much as they would like to,” said Deputy Currie.

“If you ask any new parent, they will tell you it is next to impossible to find a creche who will take on a baby under the age of one.

“The figures I have obtained backs this up and shows that the number of creches providing a baby room for children aged under one has reduced by over 25% since 2022. This is a massive fall at a time when we need to be increasing capacity in the system.

“In the Fingal area, which includes Dublin West, baby rooms dropped from 37 to 24, that’s a massive 35%.

“This is not a coincidence. It points to systemic issues in recent years that went unchecked.

“I know from talking to local Childcare Providers that staffing is a big issue. Under the current ratios, one staff member is required for every three babies under one. Not only is it difficult to get the staff, it is expensive.

“The Programme for Government commits to develop an Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system, with State-led facilities adding capacity.

“I am calling on Minister Foley to urgently consult with Childcare Providers and ensure that the forthcoming Action Plan focuses on increasing the availability of baby room places across the country.”