Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
1248. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if two-parent households can avail of casual childminding services, that is, grandparents minding in their own home or the household’s home under new restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32773/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn Tuesday 15 September the Government published ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’. This Plan outlines our medium-term strategy for COVID-19 and sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outline the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. The Plan is designed to help everyone – individuals, families, organisations and sectors – to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures that might be introduced to contain transmission of the virus.
At Level 5 of the Plan, we are asked to stay at home, with certain exceptions. Visitors are not permitted to homes or gardens, with the exception of visits for essential purposes, including for family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people. Households can therefore avail of childminding services, including by grandparents.
People over 70 years of age, those who are at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus because of an underlying health condition and their families should however continue to exercise their judgement with regard to the risks of this and other activities given the current public health risk.
Guidance for people over 70 years of age and those who are at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/923825-guidance-on-cocooning-to-protect-people-over-70-years-and-those-extr/
Additional guidance is available from the HPSC: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/vulnerablegroupsguidance/
Guidance for childminders is available here: https://first5.gov.ie/practitioners/reopening
Details of Level 5 measures are available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/
