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

I appreciate the questions Deputy Rabbitte always brings. They are rooted in listening to and being with the childcare providers. In terms of the numbers of people who have signed up, I do not have that information but I will certainly get it for the Deputy.

Deputy Rabbitte will agree that we need the regulations. We need quality in our school age childcare services. There has been a determination initially of some of the basics of what that quality requires. I am sure the Deputy agrees that we need that, and we have done that.

If there are services that will find that kind of approach to quality more challenging than they have in the past, it is a good question whether they will require some support to get there. I will bring that back to the Department. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has a habit of supporting people in transition, and if that is required, that is a useful request. The bottom line is that together we need to make the regulations to ensure the quality and then to support people in the childcare sector.

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