Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2013
983. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a numerical figure for the number of children cared for by child minders; the percentage of these child minders that are subject to inspections; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45711/13]
View answer984. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she could provide, in tabular form, the yearly breakdown of the number of childminders who have taken the quality awareness programmes since it was launched in 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45712/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 983 and 984 together.
Pre-school services in Ireland, which includes childminding services, are governed by Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006.
Section 51 of the Child Care Act 1991 outlines the category of childcare providers that must notify their service to the HSE and that are subject to the Regulations and to inspection. Section 58 of the Act provides for exemptions for certain categories of childminders from the provisions of Section 51 and the services exempted under this section are not required to give notice to the HSE of their service.
Childminders who are not subject to the requirement to notify are, however, encouraged to voluntarily notify their service to their local City or County Childcare Committee which provides a range of supports to enable them to improve the standards of their childcare service. These supports include the Childminders Tax Exemption scheme which provides for a tax exemption for those childminders who have satisfactorily participated in the Voluntary Notification process and whose annual income from childminding does not exceed €15,000. Despite these supports the number of childminders who opted to voluntarily notify their services only reached approximately 1,250 in 2011.
While my Department continues to actively promote the notification of childminding services and the participation of childminders in quality and training programmes, parents continue to enter into informal arrangements with childminders who are outside the scope of the Regulations. There are no means available to my Department to establish the number of childminders, providing childcare from their own homes, who are not subject to the Regulations and who have chosen not to participate in the voluntary notification process, or to establish the number of children availing of these services.
The number of Childminder participants in the Quality Awareness Programme, provided to my Department by Pobal and based on the City/County Childcare Committee Annual Progress Reports, is as follows:
|
Childminder Participants |
Amount |
|
at 30 June 2013 |
197 |
|
2012 |
339 |
|
2011 |
475 |
|
2010 |
767 |
|
2009 |
1,045 |
|
2008 |
1,059 |
|
2007 |
942 |
|
2006 |
1,049 |
|
2005 |
1,284 |
|
Total |
7,157 |
In addition I have, in recent weeks, received the report of the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy. The report includes a recommendation on an extension of regulation of childminders. I am currently reviewing this recommendation ahead of finalisation of the Early Years Strategy.
