Local creche Ages and Stages closed its doors in August
Louth has the highest take up of places in state-funded crèches in the country, according to new figures.
The Irish Independent revealed today that Louth and neighbouring Monaghan were the only two counties in the country that were oversubscribed for childcare places.
The Wee County has the capacity for 1,271 free childcare places but was 9% over this. Meanwhile, Monaghan was 4% over its capacity of 1,083.
Some counties barely fill four-fifths of their allocation and the figures will undoubtedly lead to calls for more childcare places to be made available in Louth, especially in light of the closure of the Ages and Stages Early Years Centre in Mullaharlin Park in August.
Even in the capital, just 91% of the 2,896 places were availed of in Dublin City Centre, while just 85% of the 1,330 places were taken up in South Dublin and just 74% of the 1,217 places in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown.
