Ms Marian Quinn:

I definitely agree with the point on local supports. I agree with Ms Orbinski Burke in terms of not saying necessarily where it is housed. People are involved in providing supports in mentoring or guidance on quality and having particular standards for childminders. There needs to be expertise in childminding. We can see it in centre-based assessments. We can have mentors who are experienced and qualified. Perhaps they are working with those aged over three. Perhaps the mentoring and support given to those working with children under three years is not as strong as it could be for that age group. The same needs to happen with childminding. It is a distinct way of engaging with children. As with early years services, there is a risk of "schoolification". Similarly, there is a risk centralisation - if we can call it that - of childminding services rather than the local approach from people who have expertise in childminding.