Absence of staff forced 4% of creches to close last week, figures show.
Covid-19, along with poor pay and conditions have exacerbated staffing issues in the early childcare sector, according to representative bodies.
New figures show 4% of creches were forced to close last week, with half of staff absences caused by Covid.
Dympna Keegan, manager of Bright Beginnings in Ferbane, says there are seasonal illnesses outside of Covid that must be taken into consideration:
Storm Eowyn Live: N80 "Impassable" As Daylight Falls On Midlands Damage And Debris
The record for the maximum ever gust of wind in Ireland has been broken overnight.
Midlands MEP Lands EU Housing Role
Ciaran Mullooly will be part of the EU's efforts to resolve the housing crisis.
Longford-Westmeath TD Peter Burke Keeps Enterprise Portfolio
The new Taoiseach Micheal Martin named his Cabinet this afternoon.
Petition To Prevent Deportation Of Family In Laois Almost At Target
Over 1,700 have signed the petition so far.
Losing A Loved One To Speeding Crash Is "Horrendous" - Former Garda
It follows calls for Google to remove alerts for Garda speed cams and checkpoints.
Prepping For Eowyn: As It Happened
Storm Éowyn hits the Midlands from the early hours of Friday morning with gusts in excess of 130km/h.
Calls For Filter Lane In Westmeath Town To Prevent Traffic "Choking"
There has been ongoing issued for the last eight years.
Meals On Wheels Revival Meeting In Laois Town Postponed Due To Weather
It will be rescheduled for a later date.
Solar Energy Scheme Could Save Westmeath Schools €1,000
The programme is funded through the Climate Action Fund.
Median Cost Of A Home In The Midlands Reaches Over €280k
New figures from the region are included in the latest Geowox Housing Report.
Naming of New Cabinet Underway
It follows the election of Micheal Martin as Taoiseach by the Daíl.
Go Fund Me Raises Thousands For Westmeath Family Left Homeless After Fire
The Jessop family narrowly escaped injury or worse when their home in Rochfortbridge went up in flames.
New Programme To Educate Parents On Controls On Children's Smartphones
Offaly will be one of the counties to be involved in the initiative.
Midlands Homes Setting Buyers Back Over €260k
Westmeath is the most expensive county in the region.
Offaly TD Wants To See Use Of Quads On Slieve Blooms Tackled
Deputy Nolan says it's in danger of becoming the "wild west".
Midlands Under Status Red Wind Warning For Storm Éowyn
The warning for the midlands comes into effect at 6am on Friday morning.
Portlaoise AFL Star Enters The Jungle In Australian Version Of I'm A Celeb
Portlaoise's Geelong Cats star Zach Tuohy will donate his cash prize to charity if he wins.
Majority Of Midlands Homes Achieve C Energy Rating
New CSO figures have been released on housing BER between 2009 and 2024.
Dáil Adjourned Until Tomorrow Morning After Being Suspended Three Times Today
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is still awaiting an official election to the role of Taoiseach.
Man Arrested Over Attempted Vehicle Break-In In Offaly
Both incidents occurred in Tullamore yesterday evening.
