Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have a certain amount of sympathy with what Senator Jillian van Turnhout has said. At the recent Labour Party conference in Killarney I tabled an amendment for a reconsideration of the Child Care Act 1991 on the specific ground that we do not have adequate regulation of children who are minded outside of preschool settings. The majority of children are minded in unsupervised settings which is entirely inappropriate. I accept it is not the function of this legislation but I want it placed on the record that it is Labour Party policy, following our conference at the weekend, and I hope the Minister will revisit the issue and the Child Care (Amendment) Act in early course.