Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

The actions we believe are now required are that the costs to nurses and midwives of attending work and other additional costs should be repaid to them, and that, when we have a reopening of crèches and early childhood services, there has to be preferential treatment for healthcare workers in order for them to continue to maintain their employment contract. Overall, what we have set out at appendix 1 is the list of representations we have made since very early on in March, right through to last Friday, to the Minister for Health, all the HSE officials, and the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs and Public Expenditure and Reform.

We are still not satisfied that proper consultation has taken place with front-line workers who are reliant on the State for part of their childcare requirements. Indeed, in their words they feel they have been abandoned - while they have been applauded, they have also been abandoned because it is now at their cost that they are attending work.