The country's largest single private childcare provider based in Cork says it's been forced to increase fees by 34% after pulling out of the National Childcare Scheme.
The scheme subsidises childcare for parents and provides core funding to providers, however some say it isn't enough to keep their businesses viable.
Speaking to the Neil Prendeville Show, co-owner Ollie Sheehan of Mary Geary’s Childcare in Carrigtwohill, which provides care for around 450 children, says increasing fees was their only option:
"As a provider and as someone who lives in my community and who has a family run business, it wasn't a decision made lightly. But, we had to decide were we going to stay in the scheme and not be in business in two years time and let everyone down or decide to leave the scheme for our survival."
