Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What guidelines have been issued to the sector? Many people working in the sector have come to us with concerns about their own health and safety. We are all talking about whether schools will open in September and if they will open perhaps for one or two days a week, yet the early childcare sector is expected to open from Monday with no talk about it only being for one or two days a week. Are clear guidelines being provided? We are getting a range of questions about Covid symptoms and how managers are to handle such situations. Have guidelines been issued?

I also wish to ask about the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. Given that children had to drop out of that in mid-March, has any consideration been given to rolling out even a few additional weeks for children due to start school in August, as that would help them by acting as a stepping stone to September? I have one or two more questions to ask.