Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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353. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs whether the change to the rules for child care facilities, with unqualified staff not being considered part of the staff ratio, will mean that child care facilities currently employing staff through community employment, CE, schemes will now have to recruit staff from outside CE, making this a CE-free zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41191/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Some community childcare services are dependent on Community Employment (CE) participants to make up the numbers to satisfy the adult/child ratios set out in the Pre-School Regulations. There is currently no minimum qualification standards for staff working in the childcare sector. However, this will change next year with new minimum qualification standards being introduced as part of the Early Years Quality Agenda which is being progressed by this Department.

I am aware of the difficulties that the new qualification requirements could create for those community services that are employing CE workers. I have asked my officials to consider this issue in the context of finalising the revised Child Care Regulations.