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IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SDLP MLA BURNS: ANGERED BY RUANE'S FAILURE TO BUDGET FOR CHILDCARE

South SDLP South Antrim MLA Thomas Burns has expressed his shock at news that the Department of Education has not budgeted for the continuation of the Playboard Childcare Project.

Mr Burns said, “Just yesterday we received the results of a survey which highlighted that lack of childcare provision across the north. Now today we’re told that it is unlikely that the Department of Education will continue funding Playboard which provides affordable childcare for school age children. This situation is outrageous.

“Parents who have children attending one of the 57 Playboard centres across the north will be bewildered that the Department of Education did not factor their needs into the budget. Many parents will also be at their wits end worrying about how they are going to continue working without Playboard. Other forms of childcare are either too expensive or non-accessible.

“Yesterday I called for Government assistance for developing childcare provision across the north. I stand by that call and thought this was something that could be progressed by the Northern Ireland Assembly. I am extremely disappointed and frustrated that we now have to fight to save services which are already in place, such as Playboard, when really what we should be doing is adding to these services.

“I think it is a great failure of the Minister of Education Caitriona Ruane that she did not budget for the continuation of Playboard and she must find a solution to this unnecessary problem. We warned against this and other ill-considered plans at the time of the budget. We said that there would be negative consequences further down the line and that’s why the only right decision was to vote against the budget.”

ENDS