Concerns have been raised in the Dáil that many creches might not be willing to open up for essential childcare workers as planned on 29 June.
Fianna Fáil's Anne Rabbitte said the "rumour on the ground" is that there "might not be buy in" from providers when they are scheduled to reopen on a phased basis later next month, and there will be huge capacity issues.
Minister for Children Katherine Zappone said childcare providers are currently being surveyed and parents will also be asked to respond to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in order to assess the demand and the capacity when services begin to reopen. "In other countries when childcare reopens demand is lower than anticipated because of the fear of parents for their