Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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They are very different circumstances. There will, therefore, be a public consultation on these regulations. Those will be written in regulation-speak, but there will be a plain English version as well. We will be seeking submissions on the draft of the regulations. This is a consultation and we will listen. I imagine changes will take place as a result of that consultation, because I know there are childminders who are quite nervous about these changes. We are very clear that this is a consultation and this is not the final draft of the regulations. We do, though, have to put a draft out there to get engagement on. That launch will happen on 8 February. The work on the child care amendment Bill will provide the legal basis for that process. Assuming we get the regulations agreed and finalised and get the legislation passed, the registration process will begin over the summer for that first batch of childminders. The parents who use their services will be able to draw down from the NCS from September of this year.