Write a comment
Education Minister Paul Given has been asked to urgently intervene to help with funding for Clady Tiny Tots, a charity-funded playschool. The group faces serious challenges including the deteriorating condition of its current mobile building and the lack of financial support available to replace it.
Newry and Armagh MLA Aoife Finnegan and ABC Councillor Bróna Haughey called on the minister to urgently intervene following a meeting with staff, committee members and parents.
MLA Aoife Finnegan said: “Clady Tiny Tots is far more than an early years setting — it’s a lifeline for children and families across a wide rural catchment area.
"The existing mobile unit has been declared unfit for purpose by Social Services and Environmental Health. Requests for essential repairs, including damp removal, have been deemed impossible due to the structure’s condition.
"Despite having met every requirement set by Social Services and Environmental Health, the staff and voluntary committee are now facing the heartbreaking possibility of closure due to the absence of funding support."
Ms Finnegan added "Independent pre-school settings like Clady Tiny Tots are completely reliant on PEAGs funding for core delivery and must raise additional funds through community fundraising, a completely unsustainable model for delivering essential childcare services.
"I have raised this in the Assembly and we have written jointly to Education Minister Paul Givan, urging him to visit the site and engage with the community."
Newry & Armagh MP Dáire Hughes also plans to raise the matter directly with the Minister. Mr Hughes said "we will continue to work as a team to push for the investment this essential facility needs. We will not allow rural children to be left behind.”
