Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I said, I am speaking on behalf of my colleague, Senator Erin McGreehan, who was unavoidably called away at short notice. As the Minister said, this Bill seeks to ensure that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has the correct powers to address non-compliance with regulations for early years services and to ensure that parents have access to information in relation to the quality of those services.I hope the intention of the Bill of not increasing enforcement actions for childminders is upheld. Childminders, as we all know, are critical for families. It is an important job for many women and some men, as Senator Seery Kearney has alluded to, around the country. They do an incredible job caring for so many children as parents go to work. We must make it more effective and improve overall compliance within the sector.

This Bill, as the Minister has outlined, removes the current exemption from regulation of self-employed childminders who work in the childminder's home. Removing this exemption will allow the Minister, following enactment, to introduce childminding-specific regulations in line with the commitment in the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028. The opening-up of regulations to childminders will make it possible for their participation in the national childcare scheme, thereby expanding access to it for parents who use childminders, which is a key commitment in First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families. The Bill proposes to amend a wide range of areas of the Child Care Act 1991, including the introduction of guiding principles, guidelines to support interpretation of the Act, a duty to co-operate, placing local and national co-ordination of matters related to the Act on a statutory footing, clarification of the voluntary care process and amendments to court orders issued under the Act. With respect to early years matters under Part 7A of the Act, the Bill proposes to provide enhanced enforcement tools for Tusla, formal information-sharing with parents, the introduction of fit persons criteria and the removal of the exemptions relating to childminders to facilitate the future expansion of regulation to all paid, non-relative childminders and to allow the Minister introduce childminder-specific regulations.

I take this opportunity to commend the excellent work carried out every day by childminders and those working in early learning and care services and school-age childcare services across the country. While many provisions in the Bill focus on enforcement actions where poor practice is found, we all know the very high quality of most such services and their great importance in giving young children a good start in life and enabling parents to work. I thank the Minister, his officials, the joint committee, those working in the sector and all who have participated in drawing up this Bill and contributing to the development of childcare services.