Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 6 May 2020
CHILDCARE IS TO be provided to families of healthcare workers from 18 May.
Outlining the details of the plan today, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone said the new scheme would provide special childcare arrangements for 5,000 families.
Families will have to pay €90 per week for a childcare worker to look after children in the home, but the majority of the cost will be paid by the State, the minister said.
A total of 45 hours per week of childcare is available under the new plan.
Zappone said the cost of the scheme will be €4.7 million per week.
Childcare will be provided for a period of four weeks, with a review to take place after two weeks and also at the end of the month-long period.
Childcare workers that are employed under the scheme will be paid €15 per hour. Normal PRSI payments and leave arrangements will be honoured by the State, said Zappone.
Trade union Fórsa this evening said it has so far “received no information about the proposed arrangements, despite repeatedly seeking a solution to the issue of childcare provision for essential health staff since schools and crèches were closed on 12 March”.
Fórsa, which represents over 30,000 health workers, said it had repeatedly asked the government either to make direct childcare provision available to essential staff, or to meet the additional costs incurred by individuals who have been making their own childcare arrangements since schools and crèches closed.
In a statement, the union added that the minister’s offer of provision for 5,000 health staff “fell short of the HSE’s own assessment that at least 7,000 of its staff needed immediate support”.
Crèches reopening
Speaking in the Dáil today, Zappone said her department are also working on phase three of the government’s roadmap which will see crèches reopen.
She said it is “inevitable” that childcare services and crèches will not be able to reopen with the same capacity as before the lockdown.
As a result, the costs families have to pay are set to increase, she said, adding that she does not envisage childcare businesses or families being able to absorb the costs. She said she will be arguing for state subsidies to substitute the gap.
Childcare for health workers is something which has been mooted for some time now, with the Taoiseach stating earlier this month that the government was ready to push the button on a plan.
However, measures to have childcare workers enter the homes of healthcare workers had to be cleared by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
Leo Varadkar admitted a couple of weeks ago it was taking much longer than he would have liked to get a plan signed off on.
“I understand people’s frustrations – public health has to be the number one concern.”
“I know people are very frustrated about it … whatever we do we have to get public health clearance, and one of the things we’ve tried to avoid during the emergency is households mixing. So we just need to make sure that the national health emergency team are
satisfied with the proposal,” he said in April.
With reporting by Órla Ryan
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
What about all the others who have to work like Gardai, shop workers, factory workers, etc
@fitzz30: people in ICU won’t die if someone in a shop has to take off work would be the main difference.
@fitzz30: you comparing a health care worker with a factory worker really!!
@Paul Madigan: Silly Fitz doesnt know that robots and magic fairies make all the wonderful food that beams itself from factory to shelf like a Star Trek eposide.
Fitz – 100 lines on how one is not allowed talk sense on TheJournal comments by 9am on Paul’s desk please.
@fitzz30: obviously the people in private sector who still have a job and pay tax are not necessary.
This result of covid is going to be the biggest private vs. Public divide this country has seen.
When this is done are the health experts and politicians going to take pay cuts for shutting down the economy results in >500k loosing their job.
@Paul Madigan: I don’t think their should be a difference between any human.
Of course something needs to be done on childcare for frontline service but it’s not right that someone who lost their seat as a TD is still allowed make decisions . The Taoiseach should appoint a minister on a temporary basis from elected TD if needed while a new government is being formed . Zappone and Ross have no mandate and can’t even vote in the Dail .
@Paul Garvey: Doherty puts them both in the hapenny place. But her smug smile makes up for her election defeat. She’ll be badly missed. Emphasis on badly.
@Paul Garvey: I don’t think any ministers can be appointed until the new government is formed
@John Meade: I’m not an expert but as I understood ministers are appointed by the taoiseach not the dail but if the law prevents this during a transaction period this should be changed. IF you are not elected then there is no mandate to make decisions. As it seems we will have longer gaps between governments than in the past a better succession process should be in place .
@Paul Garvey: Constitutionally she is a Ministe. Excellent decision. If you don’t have a problem with it why nitpick.
@Mick Andrews: She and her late partner did more for tallaght in he last decades than all the jumped up posh boy TDs like Murphy or Crowe who’s lambasting the government over Pieta house redundancies. Maybe the richest party on the country could bale them out. Millions in the bank.
As for Doherty the windbag .with easy solutions. Must be joking.
Only TD to canvass my house for a vote. All working class woman supporters.
As for your man Crowe the less said the better. Rose without a trace
@Paul Garvey: there should be a set time between elections and formation of new govt that would reduce the amount of play acting as we’ve had this past few months with the party ( fg ) with the least no of seats making all the decisions and won’t even talk to the party ( sf )who won the same no of seats as the party ( ff ) who came in joint 1st who are also refusing to talk to the party with the same seats ????
@Geraldine Glynn: I’m nitpicking because I don’t think it’s right that someone not elected can make decisions that impact us all . I actually think it’s a pretty big deal that the electorate can say no thanks but we still have lame duck ministers in charge.
@Geraldine Glynn: Geraldine. She hasn’t been heard of since the thing began. This is her first time to raise her head above water on any issue. She hasn’t even tweeted about it!
@Paul Garvey: Then start a campaign to change the Constitution. As for lame ducks some of the caretaker Ministers will be back..
Do you have a problem with this much needed provision.
That’s all that matters, and certainly to health workers.
@Paul Garvey: Rigina Doherty acting minister of social protection the one who lost her seat in the last general election, then resigned from political life and now back as a fully paid minister ???
She is the one who tried to include personal details on your welfare service card and now is appealing this in the courts at a massive expense on the tax payer
She forced the Bonkers Pension System on, in particular, married housewives who returned to the workforce after bringing up a family.
Eh how about front line heroes getting free child care for the next 6 months for doing our nation proud
@Mal Swan: It won’t be free. We will all be paying for it.
@Peter Clancy: I don’t mind contributing to it so its free for them. Of course it should be free to front line workers who need it ye
@Peter Clancy: I don’t mind contributing to it so its free for them. Of course it should be free to front line workers who need it ye
@Peter Clancy: Krusty the clown
@Peter Clancy: .And they thoroughly deserved it.
@Mal Swan: You will through massive tax hikes that are coming, the FG way
@Adam J: If you think FG are the “Party of High Taxes” then what are SF and all the other left parties
@Rob Jones: The left parties are “Those who can most afford to pay, pay the most”
I dont necessarily favour that method either, but a balance needs to be struck, rich/poor divide is getting larger
That’s actually very reasonable
What about essential works. I guess we don’t matter
@Keith k: What essential work do you do?
@Mal Swan: Gardai, fire fighters
We have teachers on full pay sitting at home. How is it even complicated. But children of essential workers in schools problem solved
@Vin: No doubt the teachers will say they are working on their study plans.
Zappone shouldn’t be allowed make any decisions ,she is yesterday’s rubbish.
@Paul Mc: What a disgusting comment about a hard working TD. Yea Yea… she lost her seat bla bla bla.
@Paul Mc: Be Kind. Awful comment
@Fionn Darland: She is not elected therefore on what authority has she the right to announce anything
@Michael Maher: same as any of the caretaker government ministers…. nobody been appointed into their roles as replacements . Pretty straight forward when you think about it
@Paul Mc: That’s just nasty and unnecessary. You should be ashamed of yourself.
@Fionn Darland: hard working hahahahahahaha, she just took 8 weeks off and is just doing something now as the pressure is on. Useless!!!
@Kevin Cassidy: She has no authority to represent anyone. A caretaker government should be of elected people only even if they are cross-party.
Now think about that.
By the time this gets signing off on the lockdown will be over. We are 2 healthcare parents in our house. Using a lot of annual leave at the minute due to no childcare.
How are the comments on this article still negative…
@Clare Rose:….Shinners.
@Peter Clancy: : They are very slow out of the blocks on this announcement. They must be struggling to find a negative slant on this good news story.
@Clare Rose: Because any government iniatiative is attacked by the mad lefties who have been sidelined. This is a good policy direction. No two ways about it.
@Clare Rose: ho long are we into this crisis. Childcare was the first thing to disappear and Ms Zappone has nowhere to be seen. That’s how!
@Geraldine Glynn: just ,2 months late
It should be free. Government should do more than clapping and empty rhetoric.
And how much will childcare staff be paid?
@Lynn: €15 per hour, its the second line of the story
@Lynn: read literally the sub heading of the article.
@Peter McGlynn: Lynn has not yet been trained to look at small text below the headline or multiple mentions in the body of an article.
@Peter McGlynn: anyone ever tell you that you look like a more handsome version of Steve Clarke?
@Bill Clay: oops!
@Jim Buckley Barrett: they will find it hard to get volunteers as a lot of childcare staff out on full net pay and getting as much working privately for frontline and essential workers.
Great development…I’ll believe it when I see it…
Bus drivers delivery drivers shop staff bin men they and alot more deserve it
No longer just a two tier health system but also a two tier society
People are missing out the comment that childcare prices may increase and that Creche’s may have to close….ticking time bomb
Ve
@Shiraz: very positive move by the government. We need to take care of our healthcare workers.
have your say