Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the financial pressures on crèche owners and the pressure to keep child care costs down, he has given consideration to the case made by crèche operators to reduce the child care staff to children ratios; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13835/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Pre-School services are regulated under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006. Regulation 12, together with the Explanatory Guide thereto, provides for the maximum adult to child ratios which are recommended depending on the age range and type of pre-school service in question. For example, a ratio of one adult to 3 children is recommended in the case of a child aged up to 1 year being cared for in a full daycare service.

The Child Care Regulations 2006 were introduced following wide-ranging consultations with the pre-school sector and the adult to child ratios were determined as part of this process. While I am not aware of any call from the sector to amend or reduce the ratios which are currently in place, the regulatory environment for child care services will continue to be kept under review with a view to providing the best environment for children which also takes account of practical considerations for service providers.

I am aware that, along with other areas of the economy, child care services have experienced a downturn in numbers attending since 2008. I believe it is important to support the sector through these times for a number of reasons. Clearly, the State has made a very significant capital investment in the sector which should be protected into the future. More importantly, quality early childhood care and education services are of vital importance to ensuring young children's well-being during this key developmental stage of their lives.

For this reason, I am committed to maintaining my Department's work in funding some 4,500 pre-school services across the country, in effect almost every pre-school in the State, through the three major early childhood care and education programmes which I am responsible for. These programmes, which include the free Pre-School Year, invest some €240 million per annum in pre-school services, supporting some 100,000 pre-school children attending.