Seventy-two families in Tuam, Co Galway are in a race against time to secure alternative childcare following the announcement that the town's Happily Ever After Childcare facility has been issued with a closure notice and will cease operations at the end of this month.
Extensive upgrade works worth an estimated €1.2 million are needed at the community centre which houses the crèche and childcare service in order to comply with fire safety regulations.
Tuam Parish, which owns the building, has stated that due to escalating costs it has had to make the difficult decision not to proceed with the necessary upgrades.
The crèche, which caters for 96 children, will close its doors on 31 October, with the loss of 19 jobs.
Parent Laura Murphy has been using the services of Happily Ever After at the community centre on Bishop Street in Tuam for the last six and a half years.
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, Ms Murphy said news of the closure has been "devastating".
"I have four kids. I wasn't working for some time, I've just gone back there two months ago. Obviously we got the text last Wednesday, it just sent shockwaves through the whole crèche," she said.
With news of the closure, Ms Murphy is facing the prospect of having to give up her part-time employment.
"I had to go in on Thursday morning and say to my new employer that I probably won't be able to work in three weeks time because I don't have childcare. The extra bit of wage was taking the pressure off and now the pressure is back on and Christmas is approaching," she said.
As owner of the community centre, Tuam Parish has been renting part of the building to the crèche operators Once Upon a Time Childcare Limited for the past seven years.
In 2023, the crèche averted closure due to concerns about fire safety issues.
Its operators have stated that a new lease last year saw Tuam Parish agree at its own expense to enter into a programme of works in order to comply with fire safety regulations.
Alan Sheerin's four-year-old son attends the Happily Ever After facility on a part-time basis.
"The promises were made by the parish that they were going to do these works to bring it up to standard. We obviously want the building to be as safe for our kids as possible.
"We're now two years on back in the same situation again," Mr Sheerin said.
In a notice on its website, Tuam Parish states that after careful consideration of all possible options, the Parish Finance Committee decided not to proceed with the upgrade works, as the costs currently estimated at €1.2 million far outweigh the capacity of the limited parish finances.
Mother-of-five Megan Flaherty believes a solution can still be found.
"We're not giving up without a fight and we're going to keep trying. Even if we have to get in private contractors ourselves to get our own quotation, we are happy to do that.
"We're happy to fundraise," she said.
For Ms Flaherty, the possibility of finding another suitable building to house the childcare facility is not a realistic prospect.
"I've heard from some people we should be looking for a new premises and that it will take six months to a year, but that's not good enough. We have a building here," she said.
"We just need the parish to change their minds, to do the repairs that are needed to be done to get it up to fire safety and reopen the crèche. It’s as simple as that, really."
Parent Jason Kelly, believes the closure of Happily Ever After will also have widespread implications.
"There's nurses, teachers, there's all walks of life that have their kids inside in the crèche and who knows how many of them are going to have to give up their jobs," he said.
In a post on social media the crèche operators described the situation as "excruciatingly painful for everyone involved - our families, our staff, and our community".
A public demonstration, community meetings and an online petition form part of the parent’s campaign to keep the doors of Happily Ever After open in Tuam.
As the date for closure approaches, Ms Flaherty is one of those grappling with what lies ahead after 31 October.
"I'm a full-time public health nurse and my husband is a full-time plumber. So realistically, we're not going to get a crèche for the five of them. So it means that one of us are going to have to take leave from a job, so it's going to be me, you know, ultimately," she said.
For Ms Flaherty, the prospect of leaving her employment is extremely upsetting.
"It's very hard because I've worked so hard to become a nurse and I absolutely love my career, it's my passion. I love people, you know, I love helping people and this is me, this is the part of me that I, do for myself and for my children. So like at the end of the day, I have to give that up and it shouldn't have to come to this, you know," she said.
Listen: Childcare facility in Tuam issued with closure notice
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The Community Centre on Bishop Street said "for seven years, Tuam Parish has been pleased to rent part of the Community Centre to Once Upon a Time Childcare Limited t/a the "Happily Ever After" Crèche".
"Given the age of this building, extensive upgrade work is now required to the interior to comply with Fire Safety Regulations.
"Throughout this process, the Parish Finance Committee has been dedicated to finding a workable solution and has been proactive in its approach," a statement from the centre reads.
It adds that "in this regard, more than €20,000 has been expended by the Parish, which included the appointment of a Project Manager and the engagement of a Fire Safety Consultant and an Electrical Consultant Engineer".
"Additionally, several meetings were held with the Crèche Operators, and a Tender process was duly conducted.
"Unfortunately, considering the overall value of this building, the costs of the works [currently estimated at €1,200,000.00] far outweigh the capacity of the limited Parish finances. Therefore, it is not possible to fund the works required.
"Accordingly, after careful consideration of all possible options, the Parish Finance Committee has had to make the difficult decision not to proceed with the upgrade works on the building," the statement said.
"We share and understand the considerable disappointment of the Crèche Operators and, especially, the families who currently avail of the Crèche services."
