Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter for debate. I am aware of her interest in it and share her views. I, too, believe childminders have an important role to play in the continuum of child care provision. I have always believed this. Childminding is certainly the form of care of choice among parents, particularly for very young children.

It is fair to pay tribute to childminders throughout the country. Under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006, childminders taking care of more than three pre-school children from different families in the childminder's home are required to notify their service to the pre-school inspectorate of the HSE, and they are subject to inspection and report by the inspectorate on a regular basis. This regime does not apply where there are fewer than three children. Some believe it should apply and the Deputy hinted at this.

Measures have been put in place to support childminders who are exempt from the regulation to notify voluntarily. This has not been taken up to a large degree, despite the presence of some specialist help for those in the childminding sector. I want to examine this further to determine the reason and what can be done to encourage more childminders to notify the HSE voluntarily so they will receive the kinds of supports availed of by those in the group the Deputy met some nights ago. The majority of childminders have not notified the relevant authorities.

The measures include the introduction of a system for voluntary notification of childminders, and the introduction of a child care services relief that allows a voluntarily notified childminder to mind up to three children without paying tax on the earnings, and to make a PRSI contribution. These measures are formally recognised in national guidelines for childminders published in 2007.

In 2002, the Health Service Executive agreed to fund a number of posts for childminding advisory officers who, in many cases, but not all, work with city and county child care committees. We are lucky to have so many city and county child care committees. Over the past decade in particular, they have done considerable work in supporting the child care sector. My Department is bringing the committees together such that we now have a national approach and perspective. We receive the benefit of the committees' experience and learn precisely what is happening in the sector. We learn policy lessons and inform decision-making on the basis of their experiences.

Despite the advisory and additional supports, including training, a small capital grant scheme and the introduction of a tax relief for childminding in 2006, the increase in the number of voluntarily notified childminders since 2004, from 500 to 1,250, has been relatively small.

In recent years, HSE funding for the childminding advisory officer posts has gradually decreased and is no longer in place in some areas. While any reduction in funding or posts is regrettable, it is important to note that supports for the childminding sector continue to form an integral part of the work of city and county child care committees. I want to and will ensure this continues to be the case. The committees are now well-established and effective bodies at local level.

In 2012, my Department provided €11.3 million in annual funding to city and county child care committees to enable them to carry out their functions. In addition in 2012, my Department provided €220,000 to the committees for childminding development grants. This shows that despite the change in arrangements pertaining to those dealing with childminding in the child care committees, development remains an integral part of the work the committees do. I intend that this continue.

Childminders will continue to have access to support, training and advice at a local level. The support forms a mainstreamed element of the work of the committees. This work includes notifying childminders of training opportunities, providing important networking opportunities and supporting the voluntary notification system. However, noting the Deputy's point that the loss of a CMAO post may lead to local uncertainty among childminders, I have asked my Department to engage with all city and county child care committees to ensure these supports are communicated, known and easily available to local childminders. In addition, the HSE has advised it will continue to provide support to city and county child care committees with respect to support for childminders. Tomorrow, I am to meet all local HSE managers, with whom I will take up this point.

We are working on the first-ever national early-years strategy. I have asked the expert group chaired by Dr. Eilis Hennessy to examine the role of the childminder. I want this strategy to be a dynamic, integrated and innovative blueprint for the future of the early-years childminding sector. Decisions on how best to support and regulate the sector will be addressed in the strategy.

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