The Children's Minister Katherine Zappone has said choices will have to be made when re-opening the childcare sector, and that some people could be turned away.
Centre-based childcare is set to re-open under the Government's roadmap plan from June 29th on a phased basis.
But Minister Zappone told Pat Kenny this will mean creche owners will have to make choices.
"There isn't going to be the same numbers of children...initially that are able to be cared for in the centre-based childcare as there was before it closed.
"This has to do with ensuring the greatest safety and protection of our children - while at the same time finding ways to bring them back in order to try to find ways to enable the return to some form of normality.
"It is also the case, Pat, through later on if we move into the next phase and things are going well - in terms of control of the virus - then creches and centre-based childcare centres will continue to engage in that re-opening.
"But we just have to take it one step at a time, and these are the challenges that we're working with."
The minister admitted that the question of who a creche owner accepts and turns away is "the live question right now".
"Obviously we have a list of essential workers that have been already having to go out of the home - particularly our healthcare workers.
"As the society and businesses re-open there are more maybe going out of the home in terms of that work, so we have to be attentive to that".
She also said children with additional needs "that would benefit particularly from returning" - while centres have their own usual clients which will also have to be factored in.
"Which is why we're making these decisions and will ultimately put out guidelines on the basis of our consultation with the sector.
"But choices are going to have to be made".
Minister Zappone says she has spoken to Norway's education minister, who is responsible for the re-opening of kindergartens and creches there.
"That was last week, and at that stage they had re-opened for three weeks - they hadn't had any COVID-related illnesses, but they were watching obviously and monitoring as they went along."
She said based on their advice so far, "one of the best ways to reduce the risk of the virus is to... maybe have the children be organised in pods."
"Effectively, it means that a certain number of children works with the same practitioner, in the same room, over the period of the week or the time that they're there".
"We're still looking at numbers there in terms of spaces" - but she said: "We will come to decisions on those relativity soon, cause we do know the providers need to have this guidance as soon as possible".
She also said that insurers of centre-based childcare will cover COVID-related claims, as long as they all follow the health guidelines.
In terms of any extra expense incurred because of the new measures, Minister Zappone said: "Probably there will be less staff - that will influence the cost, at least initially.
"But some of the operating costs will remain the same.
"And we don't want parents to have to pay more because of that, and we don't want the providers to run into debt because of that.
"So we're aware of that and we do have to - and we're working on - trying to find a funding model that enables them to participate and ensure movement towards the sustainability based on the same principles I suppose in terms of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme specifically for the childcare sector.... that enabled that if they signed up to that that their wages would be paid and there was a contribution to the overhead costs.
"It's true it's a very live issue and we are working again together on that; I will have to go obviously deeper and to negotiate to see what's the best possible deal that we can get".
