Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 3

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

51 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the number of notifications to health boards under Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991, far exceeds the number of inspections; the average timescale in each health board area between notification and inspection; the steps, if any, he will take to address these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5983/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. Fahey)

Under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996, pre-schools are obliged to notify their local health board that they are carrying on or proposing to carry on a pre-school service. On receipt of notification the health board will provide relevant information to the applicant and arrange an inspection to be carried out by an authorised person.

As a first step in this process the health boards held public information meetings and carried out information campaigns to ensure that providers were made fully aware of the inspection process and the requirement to notity the boards. On receipt of a notification the health board inspection team is required to provide advice, guidance and support to the provider as necessary. This may involve a number of advisory visits. Where deficiencies are identified during a preliminary inspection, review visits are required to ensure that specific improvements are made. Additionally a significant volume of administrative work has to be completed by the inspection teams. Depending on the volume and the complexity of the preparatory work the average time between notification and inspection varies somewhat.

All health boards are, however, working towards having all first inspections of notified pre-school services in their area completed by the end of June 1999 as set out in the guidelines which accompany the regulations, and provision for this is included in their 1999 allocations.