Over 350 Leitrim children remain on Early Years waiting lists - Early Childhood Ireland

Over 350 children in Leitrim remain on waiting list for an Early Years and School Age Care place this week with Early Childhood Ireland warning that without significant investment in the workforce in Budget 2026, efforts to expand capacity will fall short.

In a statement to the Leitrim Observer, Early Childhood Ireland said that the latest figures from Pobal, the organisation which administers Early Years programmes, "show that up to 351 children under the age of three are currently on crèche waiting lists, highlighting the high demand for places in Leitrim."

The statement continued: "The data reveals that there are 66 children under the age of 1 on waiting lists and no places are available; 122 children aged 1 to 2 on waiting lists with no places are available; and 163 children aged 2 to 3 on waiting lists and 21 places available to them."

Commenting on these figures, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, Frances Byrne, said, “No child should miss out because of failures to invest properly in this vital workforce, yet that’s exactly what’s happening to hundreds of children in Leitrim. Without significant investment in Budget 2026, and a renewed focus on staffing, challenges to recruit and retain educators will continue to block efforts to expand access for families.”

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Public pay and conditions for graduates

In its Budget 2026 Submission, Early Childhood Ireland has urged the government to name a date to bring pay and conditions for Early Years and School Age Care graduates in line with primary school teachers, who are educated and trained to the same level.

This would begin to reverse the average staff turnover rate, which is over 33% in Leitrim, they say.

“Waiting lists like these would never be accepted in primary education, yet they remain a daily reality for younger children. As a first step to increasing capacity, Early Childhood Ireland is calling on the Government to announce, on Budget Day, a date for bringing Early Years and School Age Care graduates within public sector pay and conditions, in line with teachers,” Ms Byrne said.

“Currently, the government is mainly focused on reducing fees, and although we welcome proposals to increase subsidies for families, this will only create further demand for places. Providers in Leitrim will not be able to expand their capacity in settings unless they can recruit and retain qualified staff on appropriate terms and conditions. Naming a date to bring graduates into pay parity with teachers is a crucial next step,” she continued.

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76% of public support access to for every child

The statement continued that "despite 76 per cent of adults backing guaranteed access to Early Years and School Age Care, according to the Early Childhood Ireland’s 2025 Barometer, this is still far from reality for many Leitrim children with local parents  left with no choice but to place the names of their unborn children on waiting lists, hoping to secure a place by the time the child turns two or three. With up to 122 children between the ages of one and two already waiting, many families know there is little chance of finding a place before then."

“It’s incredibly tough for parents trying to find a place for their child. At the same time, we hear from many of our 35 members in Leitrim about how they want to expand, they’re ready to grow, but they struggle to recruit and retain qualified educators.”

“We can’t expand access for children unless we improve pay and conditions for those who deliver that care and education. You can’t separate the two, and we hope the government sees that.” Ms Byrne concluded.