Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is very welcome. I am very pleased to see this Bill in the House to provide enhanced enforcement tools for Tusla, but also to remove the exemptions under the Act that relate to childminders, to facilitate the extension of regulation to all paid, non-relative childminders and to pave the way for subsidies under the national childcare scheme to apply to childminders. It is a really important day. I am surprised there are not more people here.

I could not do what I do without having our wonderful childminders, Marie Rodgers and before that Rosemary Fair, looking after my two children. My mum used a childminder, Bridget Hughes, from Brackaville in County Tyrone, and it is a testament to how strong the relationship is between a childminder and a child that I went on to choose her name as my confirmation name and called my daughter Rebecca Bridget. That is how much childminding means to me and reflects how much it means to families all over the country.

This has of course been a long time coming. It was included in the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028. There have been many necessary steps along the way, but the most important one is probably yet to come, namely, bringing our experienced and trusted childminders with us and ensuring the regulations in their homes are appropriate and proportionate. I am glad to hear the Minister is working very seriously on that. It is hard to believe that out of approximately 13,000 childminders, fewer than 70 are registered with Tusla. However, looking at the rules in place at the moment the situation is quite confusing. According to Citizens Information, "A childminder can care for up to 5 children under 6 years of age (including the childminder’s own)", but Childminding Ireland’s website says the maximum number of children is six. The tax relief available for childminders allows them to earn up to €15,000 per year and stipulates a maximum of three children under some requirements. While Childminding Ireland promotes basics and does a fantastic job representing its members in the sector, it advocates appropriate insurance, Garda vetting and basic training like paediatric first aid as well as a written agreement. There is not the requirement or an incentive to do so at the moment.

It is quite extraordinary there is such a strong culture of childminding in Ireland and that is on the basis of formal agreements between families, but they have not been underpinned by regulation yet. Strong as that culture is and indispensable as these women and childminders are, we must ensure we protect that culture and enhance it with sensible safeguards rather than diminish it in any way. We want the women who have looked after, loved and cherished our little ones for years to continue to do so and we want to show them how valued they are. They work incredibly long hours, open their homes and their hearts to our children and make them part of their families. It is a unique and special relationship and it has to be protected.

The message needs to be clear and reassuring. This is not a raft of new regulations. We are not going to impose a financial burden, unnecessary paperwork or red tape on childminders. The message should rather be we have the means and the budget to support them over the course of the three years to a place where realistic but fundamental safeguards are in place for parents, childminders and the State and that the State is willing to do that in partnership and in appreciation of the role they play. A question I have is whether €3 million is enough to do that. That is only €230 per childminder if the Minister hopes to register them all. What about capital opportunities or additional grants, supports, equipment and training? Is that going to feature in that €3 million as well?

We must also recognise the understandable concerns of childminders given the concerns that are being raised by the rest of the sector, such as overburdensome paperwork and financial reporting, conflicting regulations from multiple agencies, regulations and inspections that will need to work with the home environment and the provider who is, in this instance, a person and a family. The childminders of Ireland are right to be concerned. This is the right direction, but it is really important the Minister is reassuring them and working with them now and in the future.