Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ahearn for raising this important issue and for offering the Minister the opportunity to respond and update on the progress being made toward the regulation and registration of childminders. The Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, is very aware of the level of concern among childminders at present.

The Bill to amend the Child Care Act 1991 is progressing through the Houses. It deals with a number of reforms, including the removal of the exemption from regulation for childminders and allowing for the extension of regulation and supports to all paid, non-relative childminders with a view to the introduction of the childminding-specific regulations in the autumn. It also includes a proposed transition period of three years before the regulations become mandatory. In line with the national action plan for childminding, this phased approach is intended to give childminders the time to prepare for and meet the new regulation and registration requirements that will be put in place.

The draft regulations were opened to the public for consultation in early February for a period of 12 weeks. During that time the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, met a number of childminders and received representations from childminders around the country. Those representations were included as submissions for the purposes of the consultation. An independent company has been contracted to undertake an analysis of the submissions and of other elements of the consultation process and to report on its findings.

The steering group of the national action plan met in recent days to examine the consultation findings and consider any changes that need to be made to the draft regulations. Childminders and the representative organisation, among others, sit on the steering group. Their proposals for change will then go to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, for review and consideration.

I can assure the Senators that the Minister is fully committed to ensuring the regulations are proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting and that they respect the unique way in which childminders work. The Minister has also ensured, through budgetary measures, that there is a childminding development officer in every city and county childcare committee in the country to ensure there are sufficient supports available to childminders at local level. In addition, a pre-registration training programme will be rolled out across the country to assist childminders with the new regulations and registration processes. An additional €3 million was allocated to Tusla in budget 2024 to ensure it has sufficient resources to prepare for the registration and regulation of childminders.