Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. He is no stranger to it. I think he said he served two terms in this House. I congratulate him on his recent elevation to Minister of State and wish him all the best in his new portfolio. I look forward to working with him in the next couple of months and, hopefully, years.

Home-based childcare providers across the country are deeply concerned about the new childminding regulations. Many have contacted me in recent months expressing real anxiety about the future of their work, which is essential to families and communities nationwide and rurally. That is a big issue for us.

Childminders are not opposed to regulation. They support safeguarding, high standards and accountability but they feel that what is being introduced resembles a centre-based childcare model imposed on a family home. They fear that the administrative burden, inspection regimes and associated costs could drive many experienced childminders out of the sector. If even a fraction of these providers step away, the impact on parents, particularly in rural areas, will be very significant. Families rely on the flexibility, continuity of care and, more importantly, affordability that home-based childcare providers provide. Losing those options at this stage would place real strain on households.

Childminders are asking for proportionate childminding-specific regulations that recognise the unique nature of care in their home. They need clearer and more accessible pathways for Garda vetting for all relevant adults, stronger financial supports to meet compliance costs and reassurances around privacy, particularly concerning the publication of their home addresses.

The three-year transition period is welcomed but it must be backed by a robust and genuine mid-transition review. This review needs to be transparent, responsive and a real opportunity to fix what is not working instead of tick-box exercise. Many childminders are feeling a bit unsure about what exactly they need to do over the next three years. Many of them tell me they are confused about the steps, the paperwork and what an inspection will actually look like in the context of a family home. I ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to engage with their concerns to ensure that regulations strengthen rather than undermine home-based childcare and to protect the vital services childminders provide to thousands of families in Ireland.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I hope the Senator is settling in well in the Seanad. A Commencement matter is a great way to raise issues of local and national importance. The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality would like to thank the Senator for raising this important issue and for offering her the opportunity to respond.

Childminding and childminders constitute a hugely important part of early learning and care and school-age childcare provision and continue to be the option of choice for many families. Ireland is one of the few countries in Europe where childminders are not required to register with the State. The national action plan for childminding 2021 to 2028 sets out a pathway for the extension of regulation to childminders and provides for a phased approach to regulation, with a preparatory phase followed by an extended transition period to allow childminders lead-in time for any requirements.

The regulation of childminding services is critical to the safeguarding of children.In addition, a key objective of the national action plan for childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the national childcare scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the national childcare scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes for Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.

The childminding service regulations, which are specific to childminders, also came in on 30 September 2024. The childminding-specific regulations are designed to be proportionate and appropriate to the home and family settings in which childminders work. The regulations differ substantially from regulations on centre-based childcare. Childminders were consulted on this and involved in all aspects of the development of the regulations. Both the steering group for the national action plan for childminding and the advisory group on regulations and inspection of childminding included childminders as well as representatives of childminding organisations.

In finalising the new regulations, substantive changes were made in response to feedback received as part of the consultation process. In addition, an independent external review of the draft regulations was carried out by Dr. Bill Maxwell, former CEO of Education Scotland, former chief inspector in both Scotland and Wales and OECD consultant, which confirmed the approach was proportionate for childminding in Ireland.

I am heartened to hear that, in the recent survey carried out by Childminding Ireland, those childminders who have already been through the registration process and are working under new regulations report their experience as positive, with very few giving negative reports. We are now in the three-year transition period, as the Senator said, until September 2027, during which childminders are encouraged and supported to register, but registration is not yet mandatory. The phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance and access to Government subsidies while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.

The Senator mentioned a lot of childminders were confused about the steps. I can totally understand that. These are people who will give all the time in the day like everybody in a lot of industries but when it comes to sit down to do the paperwork and so on, it can be tough and that is a normal thing. More needs to be done and there might be a need for mentors or something that can bring them through that process. I always feel that when they fill out the forms, it is probably more beneficial for themselves, the children and all concerned. A bit more needs to be done and I will bring the Senator's concerns back to the Minister.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister of State. I must get a copy of that answer from him, as I do not have it, but I welcome his verbal response. He mentioned positive feedback from the steering group. Obviously, not everyone will be happy with regulations that have to be put in place over the next three years. The cost side of things is still a real worry. For small, home-based providers, what seem like small expenses can add up quickly. The Minister of State mentioned that the Minister hoped to go back to the steering groups and childminding associations to engage with them again, as there is a bit of time left, so that everybody can be happy when these regulations are implemented and put into place.

I mentioned Tusla but that is for another day's work. I have my arguments with it. I thank the Minister of State and I really hope that we can come to amicable conclusions when this is over.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. It is a priority for the Minister and the rest of the Government. The programme for Government firmly commits to retaining childminding as a valued and important part of the provision of both early learning and care and school-aged childcare. It states, "Childminding plays a significant role in the provision of early years and school aged care and should remain a viable choice for parents." The continued implementation of the national action plan for childminding is essential to the successful achievement of these commitments.

As the Senator knows, the key objective of the national action plan for childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the national childcare scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision. The Government is fully committed to the regulation of childminding, which is critical to the safeguarding of children. The regulations are proportionate and appropriate and need to reflect the home and family settings in which the childminders work.

If everyone complies and fills in the forms, there is funding there for everybody that could help.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome Deputy Tony McCormack and his guests to Seanad Éireann. They are most welcome.