Further to the announcement made yesterday morning by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, the consultation events on the new Funding Model and Workforce Development Plan will not go ahead as planned on 31st March 2020. This is in an effort to minimise social contact during this period.   The national conversation on the future of the workforce and the future of funding within the sector remains as important as ever. We are considering how this conversation can proceed and will issue updates once available.