Limerick children left with no school premises

A LIMERICK city centre preschool has issued an SOS for a new premises to ensure their 44 young children get to complete the current school year.

A dispute between the facility operators and the landlord, has, in recent days, seen OneWorld Preschool left without a home.

The preschool opened, on Henry Street, in September 2018 and currently has an enrolment of 44 children, including seven with additional needs.

“It is almost impossible to find somewhere suitable. We went around to all the estate agents and there is nothing available in the area,” Suzanne O'Connell told the Limerick Leader.

She explained: “We need one large room with a bathroom. We do need some sort of outdoor space as well, it doesn't have to be huge but we need somewhere we can get outside with them.”

The preschool is owned and run by Suzanne and Emma Gleeson.

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The facility is free for parents as they are state-funded under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme.

“We would take something temporary, we would buy something, we are open to anything. We would take land and put a portacabin on it if we had to. At least the children would be accommodated,” said Suzanne, who last Wednesday morning had to send the children home as they were left without a premises.

Suzanne said parents are in an “awful state” over the situation as their children are left without a preschool.

“They have been ringing around trying to find somewhere else for them to go but everywhere is full. We are anxious to find somewhere”.

Suzanne and Emma are appealing for somewhere to rent or buy so they can continue to provide the service to children.

Suzanne can be contacted on 087-3876132 or by email oneworldpreschool@gmail.com

At the time of going to print, the landlord had not responded to calls from the Limerick Leader.