No Childminding Services Hampers Return to Work for Many Anxious Working Parents
Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibín calls on the government to ensure provision of childminding services so that more and more businesses and employees can return to work, and not have their jobs affected by their prioritisation of their children’s safety. With some businesses and employees scheduled to return to work on the 8th of June and childminding services not scheduled to return till the 20th of July, there is now an inexplicable near 6 week gap between employees returning to work and services for childminding returning. How can the government expect employees to choose their work over the children’s well-being? In two words, they cannot. Because parents will not.
This government has failed throughout this crisis to adequately safeguard the rights and protections of employees, to look after SMEs, and to fittingly support our childcare sector. Compounding these failures is the lack of any workable plan to re-open childcare services in the immediate future. The recent collapse of plans for childcare services for frontline workers is instilling little confidence that a solution will be reached in a timely manner. Fears also abound, surrounding potential taxation of the much needed pandemic payment and reduction of pandemic supports.
Inaction or delayed action on the part of the government is very costly to our economy and to our soceity. To reignite our economy and our businesses, supports and services must be put in place to enable employees to return to work. Childminding services must be a priority in this regard.
