Ms Gillian O'Connor:

As has been stated, community after-school services have kind of fallen between the gaps. As Ms Carey stated, there is provision for children under six and within the youth work provision for those aged ten and over. There are principles and values that sit within the youth work setting but that is not to say there could be provision within the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as well. We are not childcare in that sense. For the past number of years there have been talks around regulations and qualifications for community after-school services that we would welcome. This year, after-school services had to register under Tusla and submit policies and procedures to become regulated. However, we also welcome a child-centred or youth work practice approach where we could develop that practice and continuously improve it. Perhaps then we could look for the most appropriate community after-school funding source within that process.