Mr. Toby Wolfe:

We will not be doing so immediately but the intention is that childminders will be able to register with Tusla and the parents who use those childminders will be able, therefore, to avail of subsidies under the national childcare scheme. The public funding through that scheme is conditional on registration with Tusla.

In addition to removing the exemption, the other proposed element specific to childminders is to put into the primary legislation a transitional arrangement of three years during which period childminders will be able to register but will not be required to do so. During the transitional arrangement, childminders who wish to register will be able to do so and the parents will then be able to avail of the subsidies under the national childcare scheme, but childminders will not be required to register. At the end of the transitional period, however, the intention is that, in line with the national action plan for childminding, childminding will become subject to regulation in the same way as other aspects of early learning and care and school-age childcare. The Deputy alluded to the concerns or fears of many childminders in respect of whether the regulations will be proportionate and appropriate to childminders in the home. The national action plan is clear that the intention is to introduce childminder-specific regulations and that are proportionate and appropriate to the home environment. Under the action plan, an advisory group is in place and currently working to develop ideas for those regulations. Childminders are represented on that advisory group, as is Childminding Ireland, and they are working with us to ensure the regulations are proportionate and appropriate. The regulations will not be the same as those that apply to centre-based services.