Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her kind comments. I acknowledge her extraordinary work over the years, which I have observed from a distance.

In making her first point, she referred to an email calling for childcare for healthcare workers. I understand what she is saying about the response and the feeling of being in limbo. We felt we needed to at least begin the process so we could be ready when called on in that regard. We are working with representative bodies of the childcare services to put together suggestions and guidance on how to move forward, and we are doing so as fast as we can. We are responding but I understand it is not at the speed we, the workers and professionals would like. I believe we will have the package relatively shortly, and it will be a good one.

On the reopening and the proposals, I have talked a little here already. We have begun the planning. We have been engaging with the representative bodies, and individual service providers are sending us ideas on guidelines on what we need to lay out that would ensure the best possible safety for the children and workers and the ways in which we move forward in terms of the phased reopening. That process has begun and we are working with the people who know best what is required. We hope to meet again, within a two-week period, members of the early years forum, whom I met just yesterday or the day before to begin to talk about this process.

I will refer to the model as we move forward. A number of months ago, I established an independent expert group that is looking at a new model of public funding. The group is continuing to do its work. I hope it will be a resource for the new Government.

In terms of the community and not-for-profit sector, we have always had our eye on that group of services which have particular and extraordinary gifts and resilience. We have found ways to continue to support that sector. Given its special circumstances and what I spoke about earlier, the Department will initially provide services to children in that sector, whatever their special needs or socio-economic circumstances, who have lost the most during this period. I apologise to Deputy Connolly.

See this speech in context