Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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911. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of proposals made by her Department regarding childcare provision for healthcare workers since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis; and the date each proposal was sent to the Department of Health or NPHET. [11142/20]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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At the request of the Department of Health and the HSE, my Department developed a proposal for childcare for essential health workers which was initially considered by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on 16th March. Over the course of the following six weeks my Department worked with the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to further develop that proposal and to provide updated papers and additional information to the NPHET on the matter.

The NPHET considered further papers on childcare for essential health workers on 31st March, 3rd April and 21st April and the matter was a recurring agenda item for the NPHET meetings over that period.

A proposal for childcare for essential health workers was included in the Government's Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business and was due to commence on 18th May. The Deputy will be aware that the Temporary Childcare Scheme for Essential Health Workers did not proceed on the 18th May as planned. The scheme was launched with a call to childcare services to volunteer to provide childcare for health workers in their homes. Unfortunately, uptake for the scheme among childcare providers was much lower than was hoped.

My Department's efforts are now fully focused on the reopening of the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector on 29th June.