Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not believe the wording “from time to time” is good enough for the inspection regime. If we want inspections to happen regularly, we should be specific about what we believe is a sufficient level of inspections. Given the way child care services have grown so rapidly in recent years and that in many regards it is a nascent sector, it is important that inspections are regular. The Minister indicated that the number of inspectors across the country might be inadequate. There are clear requirements for how a service is supposed to conduct itself and how service providers registered by the new Child and Family Agency will have to look after the interests of children. I do not believe acceptance of the amendment would prevent more frequent visits in cases where an inspection has highlighted that a service might not be operating in the way it should.

However, we should be making very clear in this legislation what the absolute minimum requirement is. Instead of the Minister saying to us today that she will keep the matter under review and that she may be more specific in the future, she should be specific today by saying an annual inspection is the least that people deserve by way of assurance that every service provider is operating as it should. Stating "from time to time" is not good enough. I ask the Minister to accept the amendment, which I wish to press.

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