Parents in some parts of the county will have to wait until 2024 to secure a childcare place for their babies.
A survey of creches across the country has found that some in Dublin, Wexford, Meath and Sligo don't have spaces available until 2024, with only childcare facilities in 7 out of 26 counties saying they could offer a place this year.
One childcare provider in Mayo has 180 names on its waiting list, while another in Leitrim has 155.
Luka, who lives in Dublin, can't find a childcare place for her 5 month old son:
"I started ringing around when I was 12 weeks pregnant because I heard that it was mentally hard. We are currently on 11 waiting lists. We've managed to secure one place for August next year, but I need it for January. So I'm not sure what we're going to do, our options are I take longer off work, we find a childminder, we take him to one creche and have to pull him out. I've definitely got lots of friends who are in similar positions."
