Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I confirm I am in Agriculture House on the Leinster House campus. I thank everyone for coming in today. It is a very interesting conversation, one that has been a long time coming and has been a long time needed. I used childminders because it was, essentially, like having a second mammy for my children. They would go to the childminder's house, do their homework and cook with her children. They had someone who loved them looking after them and taking care of them. That is something really valuable. Each family and child are different and a child's care needs are different. We need to have all those choices. At different stages, each child needs different levels and types of care. I always picked a childminder for the first couple of years. When my children needed a little more socialisation or formalisation they went into an early childhood care and education, ECCE, or crèche-based scheme. We need to ensure that choice is available for families and that all families can use it.

From speaking to friends of mine who mind children, they are really nervous about this and are concerned about what it could mean for them. The communication part of this will be absolutely key. Ms Heeney talked about pension insurance. A huge number of benefits and securities could potentially be built into this system for childminders, while still getting the balance right and having very family-based care being given. However, communication will be the biggest issue in all of this. It is not just about what the childminders want to see, although that is obviously a large part of it.

Anyway, it is important that we will talk to parents to find out exactly why they send their children to childminders. Much of the time it is out of a sense of love of family and normal living in someone else's house. That is what they are seeking when they send their children to a childminder. It is also about simplicity and handiness. The childminder picks up the children at school and does all the normal things.

It is about ensuring that we bring all of that into the system. I believe there has to be a community-based, grassroots approach to this system if we bring it in or if it does get put in. Do the representatives see a role for county childcare committees in that regard? Much of the time, childcare in other countries is regulated and managed on a community basis. Is that a better approach? I do not imagine that approach would bring the sense of fear if that was how it was managed and rolled out.

I have to ask Ms Lane a question about the goldfish policy. What was that about? Is that an actual thing? If it is, can she tell the committee what is in it? The main question for all the representatives is whether they believe it would be useful if the county childcare committees were fundamental in the roll-out of this process.