The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has warned that the Government’s childcare plan for health workers “does nothing” for the vast majority of nurses and midwives.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this afternoon said officials had approved a plan to provide paid leave to public sector staff whose partners are healthcare workers.

He said the plan would be put into action in the coming weeks but admitted “it only really works” for households that have two public sector workers.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaks during a visit to Dublin Regional Homeless Executive COVID-19 response hub as Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy looks on, 22-04-2020. Image: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

In a statement, the INMO said many workers do not fall within this “old-fashioned” concept of family structures.

It also warned that many of those who do have public sector partner may find that they are performing other essential duties for the virus response.

The union is calling for a package including:

• Direct in-home provision of childcare
• Reimbursement for childcare payments during lockdown
• Reimbursement for annual leave, or full pay with leave, for those who cannot attend work due to their childcare responsibilities

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said the current plan is “worse than irrelevant.”

“It actively discriminates against single parents and many modern families who will still have the same problems in relation to childcare provision,” she said.

“It cannot be ignored that over 90% of our members are women.”

Childcare

She noted that the union has been seeking a proper childcare solution for “well over a month” and has been “bounced back and forth between departments, given endless deadlines for decisions by NPHET.”

“Those who can find childcare are paying over the odds, with some of our members practically paying to go to work in a high-risk environment,” she said. “They also get nothing.”

“Ireland’s nurses and midwives are risking their lives to provide care. The very least that the State can do is take care of their children when they go to work.

“Instead, our members are told to simply get on with it – forced to choose between caring for patients or their children.”

Frontline

She said healthcare workers have worked hard to be “constructive and collaborative” throughout the crisis.

“We wish to continue that approach, but the government cannot take our members’ hard work for granted,” she said.

Mr Varadkar this afternoon said officials are also looking at allowing childminders to come into the home as part of any easing of restrictions from May 5th.

He said NPHET still has "reservations" about that proposal and is not happy for the Government to allow it right now.