The Government must now immediately commit to refund the additional childcare costs that essential health workers have incurred since schools and crèches were closed on 12th March, according to the country’s largest public service trade union.
The Government must now immediately commit to refund the additional childcare costs that essential health workers have incurred since schools and crèches were closed.
Fórsa said that this evening’s (Wednesday’s) announcement that a Government plan to provide childcare for essential health workers was not going ahead – less than a week after it was announced – was a let-down for staff struggling to balance responsibilities to their children and the public.
A Fórsa spokesperson said: “It’s now nine weeks since schools and crèches were closed. At that time, the Government promised that it would help essential health workers, thousands of whom have since incurred massive additional childcare costs in order to continue serving the public.
“The only practical solution now – to do right by staff and maximise the numbers available in our hospitals and community health settings – is for the Government to agree to meet the additional costs that essential health workers have incurred.”
