SIPTU has urged the Government to reopen crèches before the scheduled date of 29 June to assist essential workers facing childcare difficulties.
The union's Health Division Organiser Paul Bell also called for workers to be compensated for having to use up their annual leave entitlement for childminding obligations by giving them an "annual leave credit" to use later this year.
Mr Bell acknowledged that some progress had been made last week to secure paid leave entitlements for health service workers experiencing severe difficulties with childcare obligations.
Under that arrangement, where all flexibilities fail to deliver a workable childcare arrangement for the employee, essential workers can now be paid to remain at home to care for their children on the basis that they must be available for alternative work that can be done from there.
However, Mr Bell accused the Government of a "lethargic" response to an issue which he said was affecting a huge number of workers involved in the health emergency - particularly as fall-back informal arrangements involving older relatives were now ruled out as they were cocooning.
He said a crèche reopening date of Monday 29 June was "not good enough" for thousands of essential frontline workers - as it would place a further eight weeks of "intolerable" pressure on them, and particularly devastating for lone parents.
Mr Bell described it as "extraordinary" that there was more talk of bringing forward the reopening of pubs than the reopening of crèches.
"While it is a positive development that from Thursday, 18 May, childcare workers can care for the children in the home of essential workers on a voluntary basis the issue of how health and essential workers will pay for these services must be clarified," said Mr Bell.
"It is also time for the Government to engage with union representatives and the Health Service Executive to compensate workers forced to use up their annual leave provision for childminding obligations," he added.
Mr Bell said many members had now exhausted their annual leave allocation due to the childcare crisis - and urged the Government to reimburse these essential workers by offering them a special "annual leave credit" which could be used later in the year.
Tonight, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs said "it is planning to implement the decision of Government regarding the phased reopening of childcare facilities and it notes the ongoing public health concerns which guides this incremental approach to the provision of childcare".
In a statement, the department said the minister and her officials had consulted with the sector on finalising plans for childcare for essential healthcare workers.
It said the scheme will begin on 18 May and that details will be outlined this Thursday.
It added: "As of this morning, 5 May, 3,733 services across the country had signed up to the Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS). It is hoped more will sign up in the coming days."
