Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for being with us to address this Bill. To follow on from what my colleagues have said, it is important we see this sector is managed well, supervised well and monitored. It is about ensuring we have the same level of care, attention and so on across all providers. That is very understandable. I agree with Senator Currie. It is important we give reassurance to those sectors that were not engaged by regulation that they will be and can be encouraged and supported by supports from Tusla on this. I am interested in what systems there will be for a first-time offence or penalty when this legislation comes into place. How will that be engaged with from the Department? I am interested in understanding that part.

There is a real challenge here. Many of my colleagues were speaking about urban areas that are seeing population increases, but we also see this across the whole of the country. The challenge is how we encourage childminders to continue childminding. We must ensure they do not see this as an onerous step that is going to veer them away from offering this service, which is such a vital one for so many communities in small towns and villages countrywide.It allows parents to have a choice. When I was younger I heard of the regulation that operated in the Civil Service back in the 1970s that when women got married they had to leave. It is incredible to think that it has taken such a length of time to get to this point where we have financial supports being provided through the Department. We need to be in a place where, in the context of having the highest population ever, we are supporting parents to have that choice to be able to return to work. That will not be feasible if regulations, through no fault or intent on the part of the Department, reduce the number of childminders available.

I would be interested in hearing how the Minister intends to increase childcare capacity in our towns. There are so many new housing estates being developed but we are not seeing the childcare components of those developments, which would have been given planning permission, going ahead. We need to see action in that regard.