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400 families left in limbo after childcare centres shut over fraud probe

Claims of irregularities at West Clare Early Years Care and Education Services are being investigated.

THE TÁNAISTE HAS said the government will do “everything we can” to restore childcare services to 400 families in West Clare, after their provider suddenly shut down and became the centre of a Garda probe into allegations of financial irregularities.

The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI) is investigating claims of irregularities of State funding to the tune of €500,000 at West Clare Early Years Care and Education Services.

Four hundred families have been left in the lurch after the company suddenly shut its operations in Kilrush, Kilkee, Lisseycassey, Kilmihil and Kildysart.

Fifty-three jobs have been lost following the shock closure.

Left in limbo

Staff and parents received a text from the company last Saturday saying it would not open Monday morning.

“I don’t think it is any way to treat the workers involved,” the Tánaiste Joan Burton said.

Up to 600 working parents who use the services have now been left in limbo wondering who will look after their young children.

“We will do everything we can to facilitate that those services are resumed as early as possible, and that the workers are looked after as well,” the Tanaiste pledged.

She added: “Anybody who has small children and a job knows how incredibly difficult it is to hear that your childcare facility has just closed overnight.”

Minister Burton said her party colleague Deputy Michael McNamara was “confident that with talks between the parties (involved), the issues could be resolved”.

Emergency meeting

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs said it had “provided significant funding” to the company since it was set up in 2000.

Around 500 concerned parents and staff attended an emergency meeting in Clare last night.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has stated it is “committed” to having the service resumed as “as a matter of urgency”.

It said it was notified in December 2014 by the board of the company of apparent financial irregularities.

A subsequent report by Pobal, on behalf of the Department, found “significant governance issues and an amount of over-claimed childcare funding totalling approximately €500,000″.

The Department said the report was furnished to GBFI and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

The Department stated Pobal met with the board of the company last Wednesday and, “the board accepted all the findings in the report.”

Pobal’s understanding from the meeting was that an action plan to secure the future of the company would be provided to them by the Board within three weeks.

However the Department added: “It comes as a surprise to both the Department and Pobal that the company has now decided to go into liquidation.”

“The Department and Pobal were not consulted about Saturday’s liquidation decision and were informed through the local media late on Saturday evening.”

“The Department would again like to reiterate its commitment to doing all it can to find a solution to this devastating development for the families and staff of West Clare.”

Read: Has the recovery made it to Sligo? I went home to find out>

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    Mute Joe Hill
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:21 PM

    Another group of workers dismissed by text. Hope employment rights are coming up as an issue on the doorsteps. We need better protection for workers in this position.

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    Mute Luke Kelly
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:30 PM

    They need to run it as a co-op temporarily or face disaster. The workers should be told to turn up for work as normal in a few days if at all possible and have politicians arrange to have them paid as normal in the interim.

    52
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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:34 PM

    No pity, they should know by now, you can’t be living in West Clare, for gods sake.

    Next they’ll be looking for hospitals and stuff, it’ll get totally out of hand.

    Shure haven’t we spent a fortune upgrading the M50 so these people can commute to Dublin, plenty of creches there.

    42
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    Mute Allister
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    Feb 16th 2016, 6:32 PM

    Only reason you should go to Clare is to see the father Ted house..!

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:35 PM

    What kind of fraud investigation causes a business to get shut down completely before the investigation has even concluded?

    39
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    Mute Noirin Lanigan
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    Feb 16th 2016, 3:11 PM

    Your some hypocrite Joan after taking benefit from single parents once their child reaches seven years and the mother is expected to go and get a job and now you expect us to believe your worried over the crèche closures in Clare ???

    32
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    Mute Fiona Murphy
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    Feb 16th 2016, 3:44 PM

    Gosh imagine someone being expected to go out and get a job so they can take care of themselves and their family! Absolute disgrace.
    I don’t necessarily agree with taking away single parents benefit but why shouldn’t a single mother be expected to go out and get a job when their child is at school?

    50
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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Feb 16th 2016, 4:11 PM

    It’s not that straightforward. A 7 year old still needs to be collected from school at around 3pm and few jobs are flexible enough to allow this. If you’re on zero hour, minimum wage, after school childcare will take a fair chunk out of your weekly spend. Sometimes it’s more beneficial for a lone parent to be there for their child, rather than being forced to work a badly paid job to make iJoan’s policy look good.

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    Mute Larry L'Oiseau
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    Feb 16th 2016, 5:19 PM

    Very few children have only one parent ….

    24
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    Mute Oran Joyce
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:14 PM

    Things just keep getting worse under this government don’t they.
    To think Enda could have called the election last autumn and the people would have voted them back in.
    Now look.
    Absolute disaster.
    Sorry for the families involved but great timing to concentrate the minds of the electorate….that’s all I can say.

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    Mute Stephen Down
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:26 PM

    Maybe I’m missing something but I think it’s a bit of a stretch to blame fraud on the part of what appears to be a private company on the government?

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    Mute Luke Kelly
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:27 PM

    It’s a fraud investigation. What’s that got to do with government ffs?

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    Mute Danny O' Connor
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:29 PM

    How can you blame the government for fiddling funding and the facilities closing in this case?! It’s obviously the fault of persons connected to this organisation and a criminal matter if the Gardai are involved

    31
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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:32 PM

    Much as I’d like to blame the government, the only issue here is how they deal with it. The parents should set up a committee and funds should be diverted to them until the thing is sorted out. I bet they use the money to better effect anyway.

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    Mute Liam hogan snr
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    Feb 16th 2016, 3:17 PM

    your so confused you will probably spoil your vote anyway

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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:20 PM

    Super Joan to the rescue.

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    Mute Fear Uisce
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:27 PM

    With her iPhone

    23
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    Mute Dominick Lodola
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:15 PM

    Some things never and will never change.

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    Mute ChopperMc
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:06 PM

    Can people please think of the children. I heard that there is a child care centre in Carlow that sends kids as young as 4 into shops robbing. Now I don’t know how true that is but shocking all the same.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:13 PM

    I suggest if you no of that you should forward your info to Gardai thats a very serious accusations to throw out for all involved.

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    Mute Bertram Copeland Rumfoord
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:21 PM

    Ah Vincent he’s clearly extracting the Meehall….

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:22 PM

    I’ve heard the owner is an acquaintance of a guy with a bull terrier named Bullseye.

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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:34 PM

    @Yeah ChopperMc that is a shocking tail. You should write a book about it.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Feb 16th 2016, 2:55 PM

    Mr ChopperMc I’m acting on behalf of my client Mr Fagin of Pikapoket R2 Creche in Carlow and he demands you withdraw your baseless remark, or he’ll set Dodger on you.

    15
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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Feb 16th 2016, 7:13 PM

    Average cost of childcare now at between 800€ and 1,100 per month. Sinn Fein to cap childcare costs at €180 per week.
    Not populist as they will maintain USC to pay for it, finally justifying its name as a universal SOCIAL charge.

    4
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    Mute James Grant
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    Feb 16th 2016, 4:16 PM

    Crazy to think that it’s against company rules to text in when your sick but it’s OK for an employer to contact you this way

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