Kathleen Funchion urges caution on childcare reopening

Minister, I don't want to be too repetitive, and you've addressed some of the issues in your opening statement around guidelines and reopening and the idea of pods. I would like to just ask though that, and it's been said a lot in here already around consultation, and that the time frame for this is, you know, that the childcare and the earlier settings are given adequate time to get all these measures in place, because unfortunately what we often see in the earlier sector is there's an announcement of something and then there's a panic. to try and actually get it done in time. We had the thing with the wage subsidy being announced, and I think there was a delay of a few weeks. We had the cancellation of the childcare for the frontline workers, so we don't want to see a situation where, you know, places are told they can reopen on the 29th of June, and they haven't been given the guidelines, they haven't been given either the time or the training to put in place whatever needs to be done to open. So I just would like to stress to you that whatever guidelines and measures need to be put in place, the sector needs to be given adequate time. to deal with this. Then sustainability, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there is no point in having any discussion around the early years of childcare if sustainability isn't at the heart of it, because there won't be any services to open. We are seeing places, unfortunately, closed at the moment due to not being able to afford to stay open, and that will have a major impact on people returning to work, and particularly women, because we all know that it generally falls to women, but also on children. And I think that we shouldn't forget that that's who we're really talking about here. They've had so many things, I suppose, U-turned in their life over the last few weeks, and I think that actually, the vast majority of children are an excellent example to all of us as to how you can deal and cope with change. But that leads me into the second question, which is, and I think you touched on it in one of your answers earlier, is children with additional needs and also children maybe that are in the vulnerable or at risk category. All children obviously benefit from the early years, and we all know that, and it's great, not just people sometimes think straight away it's because you have to work, it's not, it's the social interaction, it's everything else that they learn in the facility as well. But for children with additional needs, who are really going through a difficult time and their families and parents as well, trying to cope with all this, I think they should be given priority. You touched on that, so maybe you could just clarify, is that the case? And then children maybe who are TUSLA referrals or in a vulnerable category that they also would be given often time for them. That's their safe place, that's where they're getting their food and their stability, and it's just important that we can prioritise those for return and not just have it all about it being, you know, for people who are going back to work, which obviously is important, but we do want to remember that children are at the heart of all this. I want to ask as well around insurance. Again, I think you touched on this, but is the case that there seems to be a question mark over whether facilities will be covered by insurance? Now, maybe that has, there's been an update on that, but just if you have any update on that, because again, we don't want a situation where we think we're opening on a date and then all of a sudden insurance is an issue and nobody's reopening. And I don't think that services should be at the loss of money, like if they can only maybe take 10 children and they normally have 20, they should still get their funding for the 20 children so that they can sustain themselves. I just want to briefly ask as well about TUSLA and foster care and birth parents at the moment and access. I do know that in the vast majority of situations, the access has been suspended and they've been encouraging, you know, WhatsApp video calls and Skype calls and other forms of access. But is there any timeframe for when this access is going to restart again and again guidelines around that for, for both foster parents and for birth parents has been extremely difficult on, uh, on children really, and also on very many birth parents who haven't had the opportunity to physically see their children over the last number of weeks. So if there was a timeframe and a plan for that, and then the very last point is in relation to maternity. Um, I know there was some talk earlier with the Minister for Finance around trying to see if there's a way of bringing women who are coming back from maternity leave into the, into the wage subsidy scheme. And I'm just wondering, is there any update on that or particularly from the childcare workers and the early years workers? Are DCYA, um, have they any update on that or are they doing anything in relation to that? Because again, here we have a situation where it's women that are, are left out. Thanks. I want to come back to some of the questions started with, uh, Deputy Funcian. Uh, you, you, you talked about, uh, the, the, the, the different schemes, et cetera. Um, and, and also the timeframe and the need to be real, uh, in relation to that in terms of this, this, this, this, this third scheme. Uh, that we've been asked to develop in a relatively short period of time. Um, uh, the, you know, the, the, the first scheme, uh, a deputy, and I can, I think you're aware is it, you know, it's, it was, it, I think I consider it very successful. 85, 84% of the providers have already signed up and it does provide the sustainability and the, and the resources and the financial resources that you and myself and others are so clearly concerned about in order to ensure that our, our childcare sector is there when, as, as, as we move forward. I am aware, you are, are correct. The timeframes are very tight. It's very ambitious and everybody must be aware. And you are aware. I'm sure that we are asked that the department and, and, and in relation to childcare and early years, education and care are being asked to come back a couple of months before the schools. And, and so, yes, you know, and yet the schools are planning for that as well. And so it is really ambitious. We knew, know that we need guidelines. We, yes, we do. There needs to be training there. These are the, for the practitioners and professionals before they reopen. These are things that we are discussing and, and trying to come to agreement in terms of actually the timing as well as the content of these issues with the, with, with the group that I have established. Um, I am just for other, and also for everybody's members. Um, I will be, uh, delivering a report, uh, to, to cabinet at the end of this month. That's what outlines, hopefully all the ways in which we've consolidated some really critical aspects of the planning for this scheme so that we will. And, and my hope is, is that we will be ready to open when it is that the, when, and, and FET gave guidance to the, uh, to the department, sorry, to the department exactly to prepare for that. Of course, parents are anxious that that happens. And of course, uh, children I'm sure are, are as well because everything has been closed, including the schools up to this point. And so, and we're the ones who are being asked to open first. I think your question in relation to sustainability too, deputy, 42 million euros will have been spent on the temporary wage subsidy scheme. Um, uh, until June 28th. That's the calculation. So that's a, a significant amount of money going into the sector. I'm very clear about that, that we, as we move to a new normal, the issues of sustainability, uh, will be addressed. You also, um, as, as, as, as is representatives of the sector that I'm working with. And we have also requested a, a public, uh, that, that we will be asking for wider consultation or submissions in that regard. Um, the insurance, I do want to, I do want to clarify the insurance too. I just, uh, okay. It is that in terms of effort, this, this coming scheme is that we have been in, in contact with the insurance sector. What cover can be, um, provided for the phased reopening? Allianz, who provides insurance for 95% of the center-based, uh, providers have confirmed that they will provide insurance for services which reopen in accordance with the roadmap. And that they will not apply a COVID-19 exclusion. They have confirmed that. Um, thank you. Um, thank you. Um, thank you. Thank you. Um, thank you. Um, thank you.