Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2013
568. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider updating the Child Care Act 1991 in order that all paid child-minders are subject to regulation and inspection. [2621/13]
View answer569. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether a move from the current notification system to a registration system for all early years’ services, including paid child-minders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2622/13]
View answer570. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in situations in which children are cared for in the child-minders home, if she will ensure that Garda vetting for the paid child-minders and for every member of the child-minders household should be a condition of registration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2623/13]
View answer571. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that a review will be carried out to ensure that the pre-school regulations and the inspection processes are proportionate and appropriate to the home environment that child-minders work in; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2624/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 568 to 571, inclusive, together.
My Department has begun work on Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy which will provide an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s Early Years sector aimed at providing a coherent approach to seeking to improve the lives of children from birth to the age of six. One of the policy issues which I have identified for consideration in the preparation of the new Strategy is the development of the childminding sector as a fully-integrated component of early childhood care and education, in particular for under-one age group.
At present, preschool services are regulated under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No.2) Regulations 2006, as provided for under Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991. Services providing care for children who have not yet commenced primary school are required to notify their service to the Preschool Inspectorate of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and are subject to inspection and report by the Inspectorate on a regular basis. Services covered by the Regulations include full-time, part-time and sessional services as well as childminders taking care of more than three preschool children from different families in the childminder’s home.
Childminders taking care of not more than three preschool children from different families are not covered by the Regulations. Decisions on how best to regulate the childminding sector will continue to form part of the ongoing work on the Early Years Strategy.
The Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, which I published in 2011, provides clarity and guidance for individuals and organisations in identifying and responding appropriately to child abuse and neglect. It also sets out what organisations that care for or work with children should do to ensure those children are safe whilst in the care of the organisation. The Government has committed, as a priority, to the introduction of legislation to underpin Children First.
The Deputy will be aware that I published the Heads of the Children First Bill in April 2012. The purpose of publishing the Heads was to allow for a full consultation at an early stage in developing the Bill.
I asked the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children to consider the Heads of the Children First Bill and make recommendations. I received their comprehensive Report and my Department is currently considering the broad range of submissions to, and recommendations of, the Joint Committee, including those submissions pertaining to the issue of childminders.
