Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 December 2013
165. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the changes to the Child Care Act 1991, specifically regarding child care preschool regulations and the explanatory notes that accompany the regulations which are due to come into effect in January 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53307/13]
View answerPre-school services are governed by Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006. These Regulations are supported by explanatory notes which offer guidance and assistance in interpretation of the regulations.
Legislative amendments to Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 were passed by the Oireachtas last week. These amendments will underpin a number of key reforms which I am introducing as part of the Pre-School Quality Agenda with the objective of improving the quality of childcare services. The amended legislation strengthens the current inspection regime, provides a statutory basis for registration of pre-school services and also provides for the setting of minimum qualification standards for staff working directly with children in pre-school services.
To provide for the implementation of the changes to the Act it will be necessary to amend or make additions to the current Regulations in a number of areas, and these will be considered following signing into law of the new amendments. New National Quality Standards, which will replace the explanatory notes to the regulations and which will set out the outcomes and supporting criteria against which the quality of childcare services will be measured, will replace the existing guidelines in 2014. However, the first priority is to embed registration, which is a new approach for the sector. Inspection against the new Standards will commence as early as practicable in 2014, following the development of new inspection tools and guidelines for services as well as a communications exercise with services, which will need to understand the impact of the changes to how they will be inspected.
