Government must respond to childcare needs of healthcare workers
Labour Party Leader, Alan Kelly TD, has called on the Government to outline when exactly they will roll out a childcare scheme for healthcare workers.
This comes as SIPTU and the INMO have called for the Government to roll out this scheme.
Deputy Kelly said:
“Over a month ago, at the first cross-party briefing on Covid-19, I called on the Government to provide a childcare scheme for healthcare workers. Four weeks on and into our third week of ‘lockdown’, we have yet to see any sight of this plan.
“We know through unions such as SIPTU, that workers are being forced to call in sick to work because they have no childcare options.
“Many frontline healthcare workers are relying on the kindness of their friends, families and neighbours as a temporary stopgap for childcare provision. This is not a reliable solution as those who are providing the childcare may get sick or have to deal with the unknown unknowns of their lives.
“Many healthcare professionals who have made Ireland their home and are far away from their families and close friends and they don’t have the same option of availing of childcare from their relatives.
“The Government needs to be upfront with our frontline healthcare workers and be honest about the status of a childcare scheme which was publicly promised to them at various junctures throughout this pandemic.
“Our healthcare workers are our heroes at this time, they are putting their lives on the line so we can be healthy and well. We need to make life as easy for them as possible at this time and introducing a childcare scheme would go a long way to making life that bit easier for families that are trying to work through this crisis on the frontlines.”