Parents of almost 50 children have been left scrambling for childcare after a west Dublin creche announced its intention to close with just three months’ notice.
Oakview Tallaght, located on the grounds of TU Dublin’s Tallaght campus, wrote to parents last week informing them that the creche would close in January 2027.
Ciara Kirby, who has two children in the creche, says she rang another provider after receiving the letter, but they had almost 400 people on the waiting list already.
She was due to return to work after the birth of her third child, but now has to consider taking a sabbatical due to the impossibility of getting alternative childcare at such short notice.
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“I would love to get back to earning, but I suppose the main thing is I’ve worked really hard for my career. The idea of putting that on pause for a year or two, and maybe not having my job at the end of it, that’s kind of killing me now,” said Kirby, who is a speech and language therapist.
“If there was clarity as to why that was closing, if we knew what the reason was, we would probably be able to accept it better.”
In the letter from Oakview to parents, seen by The Irish Times, the creche said the decision to close “follows consideration of the works required within the service, exclusively, the installation of appropriate care Room Temperature Controls and works needed to address safety issues within the outdoor area”.
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However, when asked why the creche was forced to close, TU Dublin said Oakview had chosen to leave the facility at the end of its licence period in December 2026.
“This is not a new date recently imposed on Oakview,” said the university. It also said the creche had contacted TU Dublin in May 2026, saying it would end its services early, in September 2026, before withdrawing that request and deciding to continue operating until December 2026.
Regarding the temperature issues cited by the creche, TU Dublin said the elevated room temperatures identified by Tusla in a 2025 inspection had been addressed by Oakview through portable cooling measures, and this had been deemed adequate by Tusla.
“Oakview subsequently sought a permanent capital air-conditioning solution funded by TU Dublin. The contract did not require TU Dublin to provide or fund such an installation, nor had Tusla required it based on their report,” the university said.
TU Dublin also confirmed it would not be seeking a new licensee for the service.
Aisling Barry is another parent with a two-year-old child, Kerri Marie, in the creche who said the news was devastating.
“It’s just so difficult to find a creche these days anyway. We were looking around for one since I was about six months pregnant and it was just no, after no,” said Barry.
She has also contacted other facilities since receiving the letter, with some telling her they are fully booked until 2028 and others with waiting lists extending to 400 people.
“With the late notice of the closure, I don’t know what we’re going to do. The cost of living has just skyrocketed and this is the last thing we need now,” said Barry.
“We’re not really getting any sort of information on what happened, it’s coming in dribs and drabs, and it’s very unclear. We don’t know if TU Dublin or Oakview were aware that they were planning on closing the creche in January 2027. It’s just very difficult to get any solid verified information. So, I mean, frustration-wise, it’s just more of a panic,” said Barry.
Oakview Creche has been contacted for comment.
