'Our childcare and community facilities must be safe, secure and fit for purpose'

A call has been made for the government to put a scheme in place to support community groups facing uncertainty in the defective blocks crisis.

Without any access to government funding for remediation, the future of this essential service of the Ardara Community Childcare is now on the line.

Deputy Pearse Doherty and his Sinn Féin colleague, Cllr Brian Carr, visited Ardara Community Childcare and stressed the importance of the facility.

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“Pearse and I visited Ardara Community Childcare and saw first-hand the devastating impact defective concrete blocks are having on the building,” Cllr Carr posted.

“The centre supports 76 families with 100 children from three months to 15 years and employs 21 staff. The government must put a scheme in place to support community groups facing this uncertainty. 

“Pearse will be raising the issue with the minister, while I will be engaging with council officials. We must do everything possible to support Ardara Childcare, which finds itself in this situation, no fault of its own.”

Deputy Doherty said: “Visiting Ardara Community Childcare with Cllr Brian Carr – just one of many buildings in Donegal affected by defective blocks. The government must urgently deliver a scheme to repair these buildings and provide support to those who need it. Our childcare and community facilities must be safe, secure and fit for purpose.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme