James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed in the reply that the officials have written for the Minister. It is the same as a written reply I got to a parliamentary question on this specific issue. The reality is that the childminding services regulations do not apply to the care of a child by what the Department terms as a nanny or an au pair, but what normal people term as childminders working in the family home. This is a new policy that is in the programme for Government. It is brand new and did not exist in the past five years. The programme for Government has committed to introducing sensible regulations to facilitate this brand-new policy. Both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have made very clear that this will be a government of delivery and will be assessed against delivery. Is the Minister committed to instructing her officials to change the regulations to ensure she fulfils this programme for Government commitment to extend the childcare scheme to childminders working in the family home?

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