Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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1016. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she is taking to provide financial and procedural supports to childcare facilities as they reopen following the Covid-19 restrictions; if an assessment has be made of the impact on young children of physical distancing restrictions in a childcare setting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8978/20]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business sets out the plan for re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services. This will be underpinned by the Government's Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice, available evidence and consultation with ELC and SAC stakeholder representatives and providers themselves. To support this work, I have convened and chair an Advisory Group, that comprises eight organisations representing the ELC and SAC sector, one representing the childminding sector and a trade union representative. Intensive engagement with this Group has been underway for several weeks now.

On 29 May I received Government support for the initial plans for re-opening ELC and SAC services under Phase 3 (29 June). The plan for re-opening is guided by the detailed public health guidance specific to ELC and SAC services received from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and noted by NPHET.

The phased reopening will seek to meet the needs of the increasing range of parents and guardians who are returning to work, and prioritise the needs of vulnerable children who need ELC and SAC on child welfare grounds.

It is intended that from 29 June, ELC and SAC services will be accessible by:

- Children of health and social care workers, other frontline workers,  early ELC and SAC practitioners themselves, and parents who need access to  ELC and SAC in order to return to work. In the first instance, places will be available to families from these categories who previously used the  ELC and SAC services.

- Vulnerable children, including children sponsored under the National Childcare Scheme (for example, children in the protection process and children whose families are homeless) along with children funded through legacy  ELC and SAC funding schemes who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage or child welfare issues.

- Children with disabilities, including those preparing to start school in September.

- Other children previously registered in  ELC and SAC services on March 12, whose parents continue to need  ELC and SAC and who were assured that they would retain their place through conditions attached to the DCYA Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme.

- Subject to local availability of places, children who did not previously use  early ELC and SAC services and whose parents are now seeking a place.

In the context of  ELC and SAC, social distancing will only be relevant to distancing between adults when they are not engaged in  ELC and SAC activity (for example when on breaks and arriving for work). No masks will be worn in the service by adults (when working with children) or children themselves.  This is based on advice from the public health advice.

When services reopen on 29 June, children will play together in set groups of children and adults in ‘play pods’.  The intention is that the same staff and children stay together each day, through the day, as far as possible. The purpose of ‘play-pods’ is to limit the number of people a child has contact with, to facilitate tracing, and to support close, positive interactions between children and their adult caregivers, like in a key-worker system. he play pod model recognises that physical distancing is not possible with young children, nor may it be in their best interests. This system will also reduce the amount of contact adults have with each other. Children are returning to their service having been with their parent(s)/guardian(s) for several months, and the ‘play-pod’ aims to develop a team-like spirit between the children where they help each other while playing and learning together.

In terms of funding for the ELC and SAC sector, I have already put in place a number of supports to assist ELC and SAC providers in this time. The Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS), launched by my Department on 15 April, builds on the wider provisions by Government and also recognises the unique place and importance of the ELC and SAC sector. It provides funds for staffing and overhead costs, while ensuring that parents are not charged fees for the duration of the scheme. 

As part of pre-existing sustainability funding, financial supports are available for community services presenting with sustainability issues following a financial assessment by Pobal.  My Department has begun to consider whether this sustainability funding can be extended to private services during the pandemic.

These sector-specific supports are complemented by the range of supports across Government, many of which can also be availed of by ELC and SAC providers. This includes grants and loans for small businesses, advice and support from Local Enterprise Offices, the cancellation of commercial rates for a period, and a re-opening grant for small and medium enterprises. Further information on these supports is available from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

There remain a number of key decisions to be made across Government that will impact significantly on the ELC and SAC sector, including the future of emergency measures such as the Revenue operated Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection operated Pandemic Unemployment Payment, and other business supports. The proposals for re-opening ELC and SAC services necessarily interact with these schemes and so I will be relying on whole of Government plans, which impact the ELC and SAC sector. Detailed planning and costing of proposals is ongoing to provide a sustainable and viable funding model which can be applied for the initial phase of reopening of ELC and SAC service, through to operating at full capacity. This funding model is subject to agreement with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

I am very conscious of the importance of ELC and SAC for children’s positive development and in terms of supporting the economy as we move beyond this crisis. I am minded always of these principles in the planning being done across Government, led by my Department, for the safe and sustainable re-opening of ELC and SAC services.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1017. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans and recommendations in place for non-essential businesses and workers allowed to return to work on 8 June 2020 but childminding services for this category cannot operate until 20 July 2020; the way in which this issue is intended to be addressed in circumstances in which there is a gap in childminding provisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9003/20]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As the Deputy is aware, on Friday 1 May the Government released its Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which sets out Ireland's plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions through five phases. The re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services will be guided by this framework and will be underpinned by the Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice, available evidence and consultation with ELC and SAC stakeholder representatives.

The Roadmap proposes that the reopening of crèches, childminders and preschools in a phased manner will begin in Phase 3, which is currently scheduled to begin on 29 June. Last Friday, 29 May, I announced which children would be eligible to resume full or part-time childcare services from 29 June. Whilst initially the Government Roadmap had indicated that services would resume only for the children of essential workers, this has now been widened. 

Subject to local capacity, from 29 June services are encouraged to support: 

- children of health and social care workers, other frontline workers, childcare practitioners and parents who need access to childcare in order to return to work;

- vulnerable children sponsored under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) (for example, children who are homeless and Tusla referrals) and children funded through legacy childcare schemes who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage or child welfare issues;

- children with disabilities who previously attended part or full-time early learning and care, including those preparing to start school in September; and

- children previously registered in childcare services on March 12, whose parents continue to need childcare for employment or training purposes and who were assured that they would retain their place through conditions attached to my Department’s Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS).  

Whilst demand for services may be lower than it was in March, some working parents who were using childcare services before the closures on March 12 will be reassured to know that they may now have the option to return to the service.  

In the best interests of the child and parents, children should, as far as possible, be enabled to return to the childcare service they attended Pre-Covid19.  Given the changed model of interaction and the time lapse since the child last attended, it is important that further unfamiliar elements are not introduced to the child at this point.

If local capacity issues emerge, services will be asked to give priority to the children of essential or frontline workers.

As per HSE guidance and in accordance with the regulations under the Health (Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2000, childminders who care for the children of essential workers in the children's home were permitted to continue working after childcare facilities were closed on 12 March, and are themselves considered essential workers. Childminders will also be able to resume looking after children in the childminder’s home from 29 June.