Early childcare in Leitrim demands equal treatment under Level 5 Reporter: '); Following the announcement by the Taoiseach yesterday of reintroduction of full level 5 restrictions, the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, TD has confirmed that all early learning and childcare services can continue to operate from the beginning of January. Under the new restrictions announced this evening and in line with the Plan for Living with COVID-19, schools and early learning and childcare will continue to operate in Level 5 and are deemed essential, with schools reopening at a slightly later date of 11 January. But early childcare workers are demanding that equal treatment is applied to all educators under new Level 5 restrictions.