Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the amendments to the Child Care Act 1991 that have been proposed by the Minister. They address many concerns in respect of inspections, etc. I ask the Minister to provide some clarity regarding the area of childminding in the context of the recent publication of a report, Right From the Start, by the expert advisory group on the early years strategy. Does the Minister envisage that the recommendation in the report that regulation and support should be introduced for all paid non-relative childminders will be implemented? If so, how does she think that can be done? I refer her to the model that is used in this area in Scotland, where the number of registered childminders is much larger than it is in Ireland. There are just 257 notified childminders in Ireland, compared with 6,000 in Scotland, which has a similar population. What lessons does the Minister think we can learn from how other countries have approached this issue? A balancing act is required in this sensitive area. Obviously, there is a clear difference between the Irish tradition of childminding in the home, which is based on familial relationships, and the commercial form of childminding. I would appreciate it if the Minister could comment on and clarify this aspect of the matter.