Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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81. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of concerns raised by childminders as to the future of their childminding service, and the impact that childminders leaving the sector would have given the already severe lack of childcare capacity; if she will meet with an organisation (details supplied) which represents childminders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61735/25]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I hope the Minister will hear us about the issues that childminders are bringing to our attention and the need for that review to take place as quickly as possible. The regulations have been in place for just over one year. It is the perfect time for that review now to commence. When does the Minister expect that review to begin? Childminders are telling parents that they are already leaving. We need the review as soon as possible.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy very much. I acknowledge that many childminders, when asked about their intention to register, report that they are undecided, while some say they intend to stop childminding. As I have said previously, I understand the anxiety and uncertainty of childminders in a period of transition. Change is never comfortable. Communication is essential to that. It is a key element of phase 2 of the national action plan for childminding during the transition period. Work on this communications strategy has begun. Childminders are a hugely important part of early learning and care and school-age childcare provision. They continue to be an option of choice, which is important, for many families. I am firmly behind the regulation of childminding services, which is critical to the safeguarding children - I have already outlined this - whether it is Garda vetting, proof of insurance, training courses and all of that.

I am heartened to see that in the recent survey carried out by Childminding Ireland, those childminders who have already been through the registration process and are working under the new regulations report that their experience is a positive one. The childminding-specific regulations, which came into effect in September 2024, are designed to be proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work. Childminders were consulted on and involved in all aspects of the development. There was an independent assessment by Dr. Bill Maxwell, the former CEO of Education Scotland, former chief inspector of both Scotland and Wales and OECD consultant, which confirmed that the approach that was being taken was proportionate for childminding in Ireland. As I said, I have met with representatives of Childminding Ireland in both the early learning and childcare stakeholder forum and the providers forum. I am determined that I will meet with them on a one-to-one basis before the review of the regulations commences. That regulation is between 2024 and 2027, so the ideal time for the review will be in 2026.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I urge the Minister to ensure that the review takes place early next year. I was on the radio today. There was someone on with me who has been a childminder for 17 years. She is leaving. She has told the parents of the children that she will not be able to look after them at the end of the school year next June. She is one of many. I do not see any reason that a review of the regulations would be delayed. If we go through the regulations, one example of them being unworkable is the emergency cover. There has to be somebody who can provide emergency cover at all times. Unless the provider has a Johnny or a Mary who will sit at the window and look out and wait for the call, that is not possible. If the childminder needs to change that person or that person decides they are leaving, they have to give Tusla 60 days’ notice. Unless that emergency cover is in some kind of a contract with the childminder, how would they get 60 days’ notice from somebody? I know a childminder in Roscommon. They have four emergency contacts via the parents of children that they look after and now she needs to go and find another emergency contact who can be available at all times. This is not workable. I would like some further detail on when the review will take place.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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To be fair, there would have been no point in doing a review in the first year. It is important that we have the benefit of the experience of those who registered and went through the process. It is a three-year process. It is appropriate that at a midway point, before September 2027 and during 2026, the review will take place. There is no point in doing it without having the experience on the ground to inform it. As I said earlier - it just so happens that these two questions are coming one after another - childminding development officers employed by the city and county childcare committees are on the ground to support anyone who is having any difficulties or challenges. I ask them to engage directly. We are in agreement that regulation is important. It provides support and security from safeguarding, Garda vetting and proof of insurance points of view and so many other different elements. I absolutely accept the fantastic service being provided by childminders. I do not underestimate that, but we must move towards regulation. We will support those who will move towards regulation.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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Respectfully, the problem is that some of those childminders at that point will be gone. If we are waiting for them to register with Tulsa and we then engage with them at that point, is it under 200 of the 13,000 or 14,000 childminders in the State who have registered with Tusla to date? It is happening at a snail’s pace. If that is what we are waiting for, then the review will be almost a waste of time. At a time when we are short about 40,000 or 50,000 childcare places in this State, we have childminders who have given 17, 18 and 19 years of service. They are signing up for regulations, including inspections, that they have no detail or information on in terms of people coming into their homes. They deserve better than that. There is not a childminder in the State that is not willing to comply with the regulations. Most of them are Garda vetted. They have done first aid training. They are doing what is being asked of them in the bulk of the regulations that are laid out. However, I see no reason when we are almost 14 months on that the Minister is not in a position to say that in the new year, we will carry out the review and get this right. That is what we all want, but childminders are leaving now and that is the problem. There does not seem to be an acknowledgement of that. The Minister is hearing it from this side of the House, and it is concerning that she is not actually hearing it.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy should have no fears. I hear and see exactly what is going. To be clear, this is a three-year process. It would be entirely inappropriate for any type of review to take place in the first year.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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That was the first year. It is over; it is gone.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It would not allow the system to get itself up and running. It would not allow us to learn and gain from the benefit of the experience of those who go through the process. It is appropriate that it would take place in the second year. I have committed to that. I have articulated it clearly. It will take place in 2026. We will have the benefit of the first year of those who have gone through the process. We will have the opportune time until September 2027, realising that is the closing point. It is appropriate that we have the first year and the review take place in the second year. I am committing to that review taking place in the second year. I appreciate the work of Childminding Ireland. I acknowledge that everybody was consulted when these regulations were being introduced in the first place. They were independently assessed by an independent outsider. There are always opportunities to learn from the process on the ground. That is the reason why. There will be a review and it will commence in 2026.