Seán Sherlock
Question:858. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of providers that opened on 29 June 2020. [14692/20]
View answerTuesday, 14 July 2020
Questions (858)
Written answers
Early learning and care services who were reopening after the Covid closure were not obliged to notify my Department on the day that they reopened. Information on service reopening is being compiled by way of local surveys being carried out by the County Childcare Committees through returns made to Pobal, who administer funded schemes on behalf of my Department.
Pobal have indicated that by close of business on Friday 10 July 1,324 childcare services had reopened. This compares well with summer of 2019, when 1, 800 services were open, as a significant number of services close for the summer months.
I expect that additional service providers will reopen over the remaining weeks of the summer.