Fórsa has again approached the HSE seeking childcare support for essential health care staff. The union has been looking for this since schools and creches were closed in response to the coronavirus last month.

In a letter to the HSE’s employee relations service this week, Fórsa and other health unions said the HSE should cover childcare costs for essential health workers or the pay salaries of those who can’t attend work because of childcare responsibilities.

The union has raised the issue on a daily basis with the HSE, the health department and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) since schools and crèches closed on 12th March, and was previously informed that two departments – children and youth affairs and the Department of the Taoiseach – were working on proposals.

But there has been no announcement or confirmation of any measures.

Childcare arrangements for health staff was one of the first things the union sought to clarify with the HSE and the Government, but there still has not been an outcome or a firm response, weeks into the emergency.

The union says it’s imperative that this matter is resolved, particularly for single parents and household where both adults are essential workers.