Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Childcare providers are still in limbo and feeling vulnerable. Insurance is a huge issue for them, bouncing from Allianz at €7,800 to a broker for €5,170. That is just two quotes. These workers want to be escalated to level 6 and reclassified as essential workers because they are minding the children of front-line staff. In Ireland, there were 4,500 childcare facilities; there are now 1,923. They are at only 20% capacity, which is not sustainable. There needs to be proper consultation between the Government and early years providers on the early childhood care and education scheme. Will they be getting paid on 8 March? Is this only for children until September? What happens kids after school?

Retired nursing staff have been requested nationally to register with agencies for Covid-19 vaccination roll-out. CPL and Nurse On Call are two agencies used by the HSE. How many retired nurses have been called up to do the vaccinations? Why am I hearing that nurses are being brought out of hospitals where they are badly needed to do vaccination centres when we have nurses who have put themselves out there and have not been called? I thank the Minister.

See this speech in context