Sinn Féin TD for Waterford, Conor D. McGuinness, has called on the Government to bring an urgent end to the uncertainty facing childcare providers over commercial rates after receiving confirmation from the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality that the issue has now been referred to the Office of the Attorney General.
Deputy McGuinness first raised the issue in January after being contacted by a number of childcare providers in Waterford who had received proposed commercial rates valuations that threatened the viability of their services. Since then, he has pursued the matter through Parliamentary Questions, direct correspondence with Ministers and a Topical Issue debate in Dáil Éireann.
Deputy McGuinness said:
“For months, childcare providers have been passed from one public body to another. They were told this was a matter for Tailte Éireann. They were told rates are a matter for local authorities. They were directed towards appeals processes. Meanwhile, providers were left facing enormous uncertainty.
“The correspondence I have now received from Minister Norma Foley confirms that the Government is engaging with the Office of the Attorney General on this issue. That is a significant development. It demonstrates that this is not simply an administrative matter. There are clearly legal and policy issues that now require resolution.”
Deputy McGuinness said the development followed sustained pressure from childcare providers and continued political engagement. He praised the work of Waterford City and county Councillors Kate O’Mahoney, Donnchadh Mulcahy and Catherine Burke who had worked with him to highlight the issue.
“When providers first contacted me earlier this year, they were deeply worried about what these valuations could mean for their future. I made a commitment that I would pursue the issue until they received answers. Since then I have repeatedly raised the matter with Ministers, submitted Parliamentary Questions and brought it before the Dáil.
“Without the courage of providers in coming forward, and without sustained pressure to keep this issue on the political agenda, I do not believe we would now have two Government Departments engaging with the Attorney General.”
Deputy McGuinness said that while the Minister’s letter acknowledged that work is underway, it does not yet provide the certainty providers urgently need.
“The Minister also reiterates that responsibility for valuations lies with Tailte Éireann and that commercial rates fall outside her Department’s remit. That may describe the current legal position, but it does not resolve the problem facing providers.
“Childcare providers do not need departments passing responsibility between one another. They need certainty. Parents need certainty. Communities need certainty.
“Across Waterford and throughout the country, childcare providers are already operating under immense financial pressure while families struggle to secure places. The Government must now conclude its engagement with the Attorney General as quickly as possible, set out a clear way forward and ensure that essential childcare services are not placed at risk because of commercial rates.”
Deputy McGuinness said he will continue to press the Government until a satisfactory resolution is delivered for childcare providers in Waterford and across the State.