Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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64. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the fact that a year on from the "Prime Time" investigation into crèches, a new registration process has still not been enacted; that new child care services continue to use the old notification model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28270/14]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The first anniversary of the "Prime Time" investigation into crèches has been somewhat overshadowed by recent political developments and the mother and baby home issue. None the less it is a matter of grave concern and one that is happening now. It is not an historical issue. Can the Minister please update the House on how he is addressing this issue?

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Significant progress has been made in implementing the national early years quality agenda, which involves a range of actions in key areas aimed at improving the quality of early years services and enhancing the regulatory regime. Additional funding of €4.5 million has been allocated in 2014 for this work. The quality agenda provides an overdue recognition of the importance of promoting quality in early years settings. By contrast, the predominant focus in earlier decades was on the number of places and facilities available. The Child and Family Agency Act 2013, which completed its passage through the House at the end of last year, made a number of amendments to the Child Care Act 1991. Regulations to give effect to the legislative changes are expected to be published later this month.

A new registration system, which will require child care services to register with the early years inspectorate in advance of opening, rather than simply notifying the inspectorate of their existence, will be placed on a statutory basis at that point. This will require the inspectorate to commence the assessment of the quality of a service before it opens. Inspectors will also be able to impose conditions on services. Failure to comply with these conditions could result in a process of de-registration. In the meantime, services are being registered on an administrative basis. All new services receive a pre-registration visit from the early years inspectorate. The drafting of the regulations required a new review of the draft national standards, the 2006 regulations and the associated guidance document, as well as an input from Tusla, which has to introduce new systems for implementing the new regulations. Legal advice has informed the approach taken. I expect all matters to be finalised soon to allow for the making of regulations this month.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Very little has changed in the year since the "Prime Time" exposé. There has been very little follow-through on the raft of announcements we have heard. At the time of the exposé, the Minister's predecessor published an eight-point plan. In the limited time available to me, I would like to focus on three of the points in question. In his reply, the Minister cited an amendment that has been made to the Child Care Act 1991, a measure that received cross-party support at the end of last year. The lack of a requirement for pre-operational registration was one of the issues that received the most criticism. A full year later, the Minister is unable to say the process of providing for such a requirement has been fully completed. In light of the severity of the criticism that was levelled at this process over 12 months ago, it is not good enough to say we are still awaiting the publication of regulations.

My second point relates to the development of the early years strategy, which was announced over two and a half years ago. The strategy has yet to be completed even though the expert advisory group completed its work last year. I will make some other points in my follow-up. Not enough progress has been made in this regard in the 12 months since the "Prime Time" exposé.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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A significant amount of progress has been made on the quality agenda. Anybody engaged in the service, both service providers and consumers of the service, will testify to improvements over a wide range of areas. I accept what Deputy Troy is saying in so far as the publication of the regulations is concerned. However, the Department is continuing to build on the actions to date and we are anxious at all times to ensure that quality in the early years service is improved. Following the receipt of the legal advice, I expect all matters to be finalised so as to allow the regulations to be made during the course of July. I undertake to keep in contact with the Deputy and inform him of further progress.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is saying that we should consider it progress that the registration process, which commenced more than 12 months ago, is still not complete. Both service users and service providers are anxiously awaiting the publication of the regulations, which the Minister is now saying will happen by the end of this month. An early years strategy was promised more than two and a half years ago but we are still awaiting it. Will the Minister indicate when that strategy will be published? In terms of the recruitment of additional inspectors, the most recent quarterly meeting with the Minister's predecessor confirmed that there are still areas in this country where no inspector is in place. Can the Minister confirm today that every area now has a fully qualified inspector overseeing preschool settings?

There is a great deal more I could say if time permitted. Certainly, there is a lot more work to be done. I ask that this matter receive the urgent attention it warrants.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will agree that the promotion of higher and more consistent quality right across the early years services requires a sustained effort involving many different actions and activities. I note his point regarding inspectors. Recruitment of inspectors is under way and it is my hope that all regions throughout the country will have a sufficient quota of inspectors as deemed appropriate in the circumstances. I expect progress to be made on the regulations in the course of July and I will keep the Deputy informed in that regard, as requested.