Orlaith McNamee, Sophie Harte, Louise Toner, Donna Kenny ......Average cost for childcare rises to...

Monday, August 27, 2018 NEWS DONEGAL NEWS 7

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BY CONOR SHARKEY

CHILDCARE costs remain the“greatest burden” on parents inDonegal, according to a local sup-port organisation.

Donegal’s County ChildcareCommittee spoke out this weekfollowing the publication of aNewstalk survey which showshow the monthly fee for a two-year-old in full-time care is €719 -a 3.1 per-cent increase in the pastfive years.

Donegal’s average is still lowerthan the national average of €745however and substantially lessthan in Dublin where the month-ly bill for parents is €1,047.

The cheapest county in Irelandwhen it comes to childcare isLongford where the fee is €650.

Donegal County Childcare says

that historically, there has been alack of investment in Ireland’schildcare sector compared to oth-er countries. And while Ministerfor Children Katherine Zappone isworking to address the shortfall,childcare costs remain a majorburden on parents.

Donna Kenny of Donegal Coun-ty Childcare said: “Children andyoung people have rights to qual-ity care and education and Minis-ter Zappone recently highlightedthat since 2016 government in-vestment in the early years sectorhas increased by some 80 per-cent. It appears though that thecash strapped middle earner maystill be finding childcare costs the

greatest burden. Increased gov-ernment funding in this area isparticularly needed.”

Ms Kenny added that therewere several government-fundedsubsidy schemes open to parentsstruggling to meet their childcarecosts and that to date, 7,428 chil-dren in Donegal had benefitedfrom the subvention programmes.

These include a new, non-means tested universal subsidyworth up to €1,040 per year andwhich is available to families withchildren under the age of three.

The Early Childhood Care andEducation Scheme is a universalchildcare programme designed togive children access to a maxi-

mum of two years free pre-schooleducation before they start pri-mary school.

And 2,920 children in Donegalhave accessed targeted subsidiesunder schemes which are avail-able to support families on low in-come including those on back towork and training programmes.

Childcare has been a thorny is-sue for the government in recenttimes with Minister Shane Rosssparking debate with his ‘grannygrant’ proposal which would offergrandparents €1,000 for childcare.Katherine Zappone on the otherhand wants all crèches exemptfrom paying commercial rates.

Donegal County Childcare saidit was not in favour of ShaneRoss’s suggestion as it would be ofno benefit to those not in employ-ment.

Average cost forchildcare rises to €719

Orlaith McNamee, Sophie Harte, Louise Toner, Donna Kenny and Noeleen Killen, Donegal Community Childcare.

Over 7,000 children in Donegal hadbenefited from the subvention programmes

BY CONOR SHARKEY

FRIENDS of Shaun Dunworth,the Ramelton man seriously in-jured in a fall in Australia, haveraised almost €55,000 to supporthis recovery.

It is four weeks since the 21-year-old was found lying on theroad below Sydney’s High Roadunder-pass.

His condition was initially de-scribed as critical and membersof his family rushed to be by hishospital bed side in Australia.

The Donegal News under-stands that Shaun has since un-dergone a number of operations.

While the Ramelton man re-mains in hospital in Sydney, backin Ireland friends and family havebeen raising money to assist withthe long road to recovery he now

faces.So far the Shaun Dunworth Re-

covery Fund, set up via go-fundme.com, has attracted dona-tions just shy of €55,000.

Meanwhile pals are preparingto hit the road in a bid to putmore money into the recoveryfund.

On Saturday September 8 a carrun will leave The Quay inRamelton at 1pm before headingtowards Kilmacrennan,Creeslough, Carrigart, Fanad be-fore returning to Ramelton. Backat The Quay a static car displaywill be held from 4-6pm.

Co-organising the car run isDeclan McGarvey.

“I worked in Durkan’s andShaun would have worked nextdoor in the cafe,” Mr McGarveysaid.

“He’s just a while nice, bubblybig fella who gets on with every-one. I don’t know a single personwho would have a bad word to

say about him.“The thinking behind the car

run is that it just appeals to a dif-ferent audience so you aren’t ask-ing the same people for donationsall the time. Some of the boys whoare into cars might not be into thedances and other events that arebeing organised so it’s just a wayof approaching a different crowdof people.”

While there is an emphasis onvintage/classic cars and sportsand high performance vehicles,everyone is welcome to get in-volved in the car run.

Entry is €20 per car with allproceeds going towards theShaun Dunworth Recovery Fund.For more information about thecar run contact Declan on0868063473 or Ciaran on0868560153.

Almost €55,000 raised for Rameltonman critically injured in Australia

Friends organising car run to assist recovery fund

Shaun Dunworth.

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