Ms Teresa Heeney:

The issue of certainty arises again here. The funding package that was made available to the sector to reopen included the reinstatement of the schemes, the reopening grant, a capital grant and the wage scheme. One of the things that has been critical to reopening is the fact that operators, including members of Early Childhood Ireland, can re-engage with parents on the same basis they engaged with them back in March. The package of supports is due to the fact that services are going to reopen with fewer children and therefore less income and with the range of debts that have been incurred during closure. It is reasonable that fees are charged at the same level because we need to get through the next eight weeks and see our way through to the end of the year.