Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not wish to cut across Deputy Troy, who put forward two amendments to this section, but I understand they have been disallowed. I share his view strongly with regard to one of these, 58L. Deputy Troy referred in particular to 58B and 58C. I believe 58C is problematic. I know the situation that applies and the difficulties that will present in some settings. However, it is unacceptable that lesser standards will be acceptable where there are only three children involved, in a private home care setting, as against where more than three are involved. The standards should apply across the board and there should be no exceptions in that regard.

I understand how this applies to the situation within a family where we are talking about a grandmother or parental sibling support for children, because these are family arrangements. However, when we go outside that and a commercial proposition is organised, where a person is paid for the service, it is not right to exempt these from the terms of this amendment to the Child Care Act. We must grasp the nettle and apply the highest standards across the board. Nothing less is acceptable.

The Minister should not proceed with 58L(c), which refers to "a person taking care of not more than 3 children of different families (other than that person's own such children) ..." The person could have one or two of their own children already and within the particular setting there could be five or any number of children. This section could be understood to refer to a person who is taking care of their own children plus three others. Even if a person has no children of their own but is taking in three children from other family settings, outside of their own familial role and support - which is normal - no exemption should apply. The same standard should be expected and insisted upon.