Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is a very helpful suggestion that I will certainly consider in respect of the Deputy's last point. My Department and I, along with the county and city child care committees, are very keen to provide support, particularly to childminders, because we are aware that for many parents, this is their preference for the minding of their children and they hope and wish that they could have access to the child care scheme that will be rolled out.

There are 219 registered childminders who will be eligible to participate in the single affordable childcare scheme announced in the recent budget. Since the announcement, two more childminders have joined and are in the process of registering with Tusla. Clearly, we have concerns about the lower numbers here. We are aware that the current eligibility criteria rule out a high percentage of childminders who are minding fewer than four children and a lot of work is ongoing in that regard.

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