Could anyone offer advise on how legally binding the contents of email correspondence is in Ireland.
The scenario: We have 2 children full time monday-friday care in a community childcare/creche. My wife is a teacher and for the last 2 years we were permitted to reduce the number of days they attended creche and therefore the cost too and then put them back into full time creche care at the beginning of each september and their places were there and guarantee'd.
This year, in January, my wife emailed the creche to enquire about costs for the summer months and again if it were ok to reduce the number of days our children were in creche during the summer months. She got an immediate reply stating that it was fine to reduce the days during the summer and was given the prices for the summer months and the price for next September when the children are back in full time Monday to Friday care. That was in early January.
Then at the end of February my wife was speaking to the creche manager on another subject when at the end of the conversation she stated that reducing the children's days during the summer meant that there was no longer a guaranteed place for our children come September and in order to guarantee a place we would have to pay full fees for the full summer, this was despite her telling us in January that we could reduce their days, giving us the reduced rate costs and then the full time costs come September again.
We have made financial decisions based on the information given in the email and I want to know how legally binding or not that email (which we still have a copy of) actually is. The email came from the creche email address and not a private individuals.
The scenario: We have 2 children full time monday-friday care in a community childcare/creche. My wife is a teacher and for the last 2 years we were permitted to reduce the number of days they attended creche and therefore the cost too and then put them back into full time creche care at the beginning of each september and their places were there and guarantee'd.
This year, in January, my wife emailed the creche to enquire about costs for the summer months and again if it were ok to reduce the number of days our children were in creche during the summer months. She got an immediate reply stating that it was fine to reduce the days during the summer and was given the prices for the summer months and the price for next September when the children are back in full time Monday to Friday care. That was in early January.
Then at the end of February my wife was speaking to the creche manager on another subject when at the end of the conversation she stated that reducing the children's days during the summer meant that there was no longer a guaranteed place for our children come September and in order to guarantee a place we would have to pay full fees for the full summer, this was despite her telling us in January that we could reduce their days, giving us the reduced rate costs and then the full time costs come September again.
We have made financial decisions based on the information given in the email and I want to know how legally binding or not that email (which we still have a copy of) actually is. The email came from the creche email address and not a private individuals.