Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I agree with a certain amount of the sentiment behind this amendment although I do not entirely agree with the wording. I will repeat a point I made on Second Stage, which is that, while it is sometimes a result of need, people very often consciously choose a childminder because they like the informality and the lower minder-child ratio. It is often viewed as being more homely than a congregated setting. That point needs to be respected and taken account of. As I said on Second Stage, it is a difficult balance to strike. I fully accept that. However, I do not believe the regulation should be too heavy-handed. I heard the points the Minister made in summing up on Second Stage and he noted the point I had made. One of the ways of addressing it is to ensure that there is good consultation with childcare providers in the drawing up of regulations and so on. I hope that will be taken into consideration because there is a very real quality that people seek out in homely domestic settings. We should not lose that although we obviously must have regard to the need for safety. I ask the Minister to bear that in mind. The best way of addressing it is probably through better consultation with childcare providers.

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