Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

We did not have consultation with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs until the scheme was announced. We then had a meeting at which the scheme was explained to us. Our criticism was that we should have been involved when the scheme was being thought up and developed. We were trying to find a solution that would assist healthcare workers and, as previously stated, it was clear when it was announced that lone parents and those co-parenting with healthcare workers were the very groups that would not be assisted by the scheme. We were very critical of this when we met the Minister for Health. He arranged for a meeting involving the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, ourselves and other trade unions, at which the scheme was set out and explained as opposed to consultation on the scheme prior to its development.