Waterford Fianna Fail TD Mary Butler was speaking at a special Oireachtas Committee
A Waterford Fianna Fail TD says we will be sleepwalking off a cliff this winter when it comes to Covid-19.
Healthcare worker unions are appearing before a special Oireachtas Committee, highlighting childcare problems for frontline staff.
The INMO says most nurses and midwives are having to use annual leave to care for their children, since the outbreak began in February.
While childcare providers say it's impossible to know how many children will be catered for in facilities from next Monday.
Many creches are due to reopen for the summer, but some are reporting they won't be able to open, or will only have 60 or 70 per cent capacity.
The Oireachtas Covid-19 committee's heard a warning some facilities could have to reduce the number of children they care for, due to extra staffing costs because of the outbreak.
Fianna Fail's Mary Butler says we could be facing into a winter of discontent.
"We will have the normal winter surge so obviously if these healthcare workers cannot get that leave restored it seems like we will be sleepwalking off a cliff.
We could be facing a resurgence of Covid-19, we do not know. But we have to plan for it. And the purpose of this committee it to look at what we got wrong and what we need to get right going forward."
