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

Indeed the Deputy can. I outlined in my opening speech the processes of various types of consultation we had in regard to developing the scheme, including with the sector on some of the issues that it was still then raising in terms of the reasons why they did not sign-up. They did identify some of those reasons. We did fight for the insurance, as I have described. In anticipation of a later question I can point out that we do have the insurance cover now for the centre-based scheme in regard to Covid-19 related claims. That is a major breakthrough, I think.

On when we actually announced the scheme, my personal view is that as time continued to pass the issue in regard to the fear of going into the homes of health care workers became larger. That is one of the things they said inhibited sign-up.

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