Parents fight to save Stoneybatter playgroup 

Parents campaigning to save the afternoon session at Rainbow Community Playgroup in Stoneybatter have secured a temporary two-week extension following ongoing discussions with Pobal and the Board of Management.  

This follows last Thursday’s (6th) protest outside the Department of Children (DCEDIY), where families, children, and supporters demanded urgent action to prevent the closure of a fully funded early years service.  

While this short-term extension is a welcome step, parents remain deeply concerned that no long-term solution has been secured.   

They say key issues remain:  

The need for the service is clear, with many families relying on the afternoon session due to work and childcare commitments.  

The morning session will continue with the same staff, so there is no operational reason why the afternoon session cannot continue.  

Pobal has confirmed that supports are available, yet the closure is “still under consideration.”  

The Board of Management has indicated that discussions with Pobal will continue, and parents have been invited to meet.   

However, without a firm commitment, uncertainty remains for families and staff.  

Parents say they will continue to push for a permanent resolution to ensure that Rainbow’s afternoon session remains open beyond the next two weeks.  

Parents, children and supporters pictured outside the office of the Department of Children at last Thursday’s (6th) protest.

Last Thursday’s demonstration outside the Department of Children was the second protest to be held against the planned closure of the playgroup.  

On Friday, January 31, parents gathered outside the city council-leased building in Stoneybatter to protest.  

This followed them receiving notice on Tuesday, January 28, that afternoon sessions were to permanently stop from Friday, February 7.  

Parents were given just one week’s notice, without clear explanation, despite the fact that this session is fully funded through government schemes, including Pobal and AIM grants.  

Rainbow Playgroup has long been a vital part of the community, providing high-quality early education and essential childcare.   

Parents fear the sudden decision to close the afternoon session puts children at risk, disrupting their education and emotional stability.   

It also places enormous pressure on working parents, many of whom structured their jobs around this service.   

Mark Sheerin, whose son attends Rainbow Playgroup, told Northside People that the decision to close the facility has caused a lot of distress.  

“Finding alternative childcare in Dublin 7 is already near impossible, with two other playschools closing in recent years,” he said.  

“Some parents now face the possibility of leaving their jobs due to a complete lack of options.  

“Concerned families have made multiple attempts to engage with the board to explore solutions, including keeping the session open or at least extending the closure date to allow time for alternative arrangements. 

“To date, these efforts have been ignored. 

“In response, over 50 parents, joined by local councillors and TDs including, Mary Lou McDonald, Marie Sherlock, Gary Gannon, and Ray McAdam, staged a protest last Friday week (31st), demanding answers and immediate action.   

“This situation highlights the wider childcare crisis in Ireland.   

“This is not the first playschool to close in such an unacceptable fashion.   

“Best practice recommendations from Early Childhood Ireland state that service providers should give a minimum of three months’ notice of closure, yet Rainbow parents were given just one week.   

“The government claims to prioritise early childhood education, yet fully funded community services like Rainbow are being left to collapse without intervention.  

“We are calling for immediate action from Pobal and the Department of Children to prevent this closure and ensure families are not left without essential childcare services.”  

Speaking at Thursday’s protest, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said there needs to be engagement.  

“I’m here with the parents from the Rainbow Creche, their determination remains very very strong,” she said.  

“I think all of this can get sorted out; the objective here is to keep the afternoon service and this is where it needs to land.  

“Parents have been given very little information and engagement.  

“That is not an acceptable way to go about things.  

“With that said, we are here for a solution and to ensure that all of these children can continue with the teachers that they love in this local service.   

“Time is tight, so there needs to be engagement.  

“We can and we must sort this out.”  

Also speaking at Thursday’s protest was local Labour TD Marie Sherlock.  

“It’s a huge turnout here today on the steps of the Department of Children, there’s a huge depth of frustration amongst parents about the loss of the afternoon session,” she said.  

“It’s very sad it has come to this, we have a fantastic set of staff, a great set of parents, and ultimately a huge desire to keep the earlier services in their eternity.  

“We’ve already lost 105 pre-school places in Stoneybatter 18 months ago and we cannot, as a community, afford to lose any more places.  

“Our hope is that a resolution can be found with the board of management of Rainbow Community Playgroup to ensure that the afternoon session is restored.”  

SIPTU has also called on the management of Kent Playgroup Ltd (owners of Rainbow Community Playgroup) to rethink their decision to end the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme at its facility in Stoneybatter.  

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Pat McCabe, said:   

“SIPTU representatives wrote to the Board of Management on 28th January indicating that our members employed in Rainbow Community Playgroup strongly oppose its decision and request negotiations on how the service can be maintained.   

“We are deeply concerned by this development which was announced without prior consultation with the Rainbow Community Playgroup manager or educators.  

“Our members are concerned about the future sustainability of the service and the impact on children’s education and their families who are dependent on the facility.   

“We are calling on Kent Playgroup Ltd to immediately rescind its decision concerning the closure of the ECCE service and enter negotiations with workers and the families which use the facility.”  

SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, John King, said: “The crisis in childcare provision is impacting working families across the country.   

“The major cause of this crisis is that services struggle to attract and retain staff due to low pay.   

“The knock-on effect is reduced services for parents and children. The solution is pay and conditions that reflect the skills, qualifications and experience of Early Years Educators.  

“In the longer term we support the greater rollout of public childcare facilities which would mean that services would be actively planned and developed where the need is the greatest.”