Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle very much. I really appreciate that. It is a fantastic opportunity but I have to say that I will miss working alongside my colleagues in the children's committee and the Minister. Even though we have not always agreed, we have always worked really constructively together.

With regard to the Bill, I have come in to support Deputy Sherlock's amendment. I have always used childminders. I have probably spoken about that. My youngest child is 13 today so I am getting out of that part of my life but childminders are vital. A great many roles and jobs are not 9 to 5 and so people really depend on childminders. The Bill will be great for parental choice and really good, well-qualified childminders will have the opportunity to get into the scheme but there are concerns about it. I support the amendment because, as we have discussed in the past, it is a very different sector and a different type of service is being offered. While child protection issues have been in the news too much for all of the wrong reasons recently and it is important to have really strong protections for children, it is about striking the right balance. It is a very different environment. A person's home is a very personal space.

I support the amendment. I was not here for the Second Stage debate last week but I hope that there will be ongoing consultation with the sector by way of actual meetings. I know consultation documents are sometimes sent out for people to fill in but there is nothing like sitting down face to face with a stakeholder group representing a sector to hear that sector's concerns. As with anything new, there may be teething problems and such meetings are the best place to iron all of that out. I support the amendment and hope the Minister will accept it or, as Deputy Sherlock has suggested, look again at that section.

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