Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. It is about regulating in an appropriate way. I believe this is where the consultation around childminding comes in. Perhaps the Minister will give the date she plans for this. She speaks of the action plan and the ten-year aims. We need to hear whether childminders are part of that consultation. When do we plan to roll it out so there is a more informed basis for childminders to encourage them to come in? From talking to childminders, as the Minister has also, Garda vetting is also an issue because childminders provide a different service. Another issue is that parents may be able to access the subsidies, which would be very welcome, but not everybody works 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and there has to be the flexibility around the different shifts worked by different parents. Many parents would be delighted to think that their childminder could access funding for those subsidies of which parents can avail, and this could stop the parents having to use centre-based organisations. This is where the childminders and the parents would very much welcome that consultation date.

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