Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2015
132. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the new child care regulations will revise the standards with regard to paediatric first aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7699/15]
View answerPreschool services are subject to the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No.2) Regulations 2006, as provided for under Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department is progressing the Early Years Quality Agenda which introduces a number of key of reforms that provide for the further development of the child care sector. To underpin these reforms, it was necessary to amend the Child Care Act 1991 and these legislative changes were enacted through the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013.
To provide for the implementation of the changes, it is necessary to carry out a root and branch re-examination of the existing regulations including a restructuring of the regulations and guidance content in line with the latest drafting practices. This has proved more time consuming than originally envisaged. Officials in my Department are working closely with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to develop a comprehensive draft of the new regulations, which will include a requirement that early years services have a person trained in paediatric first aid available at all times.
I am very anxious that all people working directly with children in the early years sector have an appropriate Paediatric First Aid qualification. However, there is no accredited award in Paediatric First Aid at any level on the National Framework of Qualifications. There is an accredited award in Occupational First Aid and it is a stipulation that the training can only be provided by organisations or individuals on the Register of Occupational First Aid Training Providers. This register is maintained on behalf of the Health and Safety Authority by the Occupational First Aid Assessment Agent.
The delivery of Paediatric First Aid courses could be regulated by developing a Special Purpose Award through Quality and Qualifications Ireland and my Department has already sent such an award proposal to them. However, the same standards that apply to the delivery of the Occupational First Aid award should also apply to Paediatric First Aid courses. At the moment, there are a lot of companies delivering 1 day courses in Paediatric First Aid and offering their own certificate of accreditation. I would like to see an external quality assurance process in place to ensure that these companies have the skills and competences to deliver a nationally accredited course.
My Department has been in touch with the relevant agencies seeking to progress the development of a Special Purpose Award in Paediatric First Aid and the external quality assurance of the delivery of such an award. I have asked my officials to keep me informed of developments in this matter.
