Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide details of the number of Health Service Executive and city and county childcare committees held Childminding Advisory Officer posts affected by cuts to HSE funds for 2013; the impact that the cuts to CMAO posts will have on supports available to childminders and in particular the impact on the national availability of the voluntary notification process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58096/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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While the 1991 Childcare Act introduced regulation of the pre-school sector, the majority of childminders are exempt from the regulations. At the time there was a recognition of the difficulties of regulation given the scale of the provision, and a strong view that, because women did not have to be regulated to look after their own children, they should not be subject to regulation if they minded a small number of additional children.

The 2000 Expert Working Group on Childcare set out a plan for integrating the various strands of child care and education, including childminding. It made a number of recommendations aimed at overcoming the barriers preventing childminders from moving into the formal economy, most of which were implemented. These included the introduction of a system for voluntary notification of childminders, and the introduction of Childcare Services Relief, which allows a voluntarily-notified childminder to mind up to three children without paying tax on the earnings, and to make a PRSI contribution.

Childminding Advisory Officer posts were created in most of the CCCs, working directly with childminders, notifying them of training opportunities, providing networking opportunities, and supporting the voluntary notification system. The number of voluntarily-notified childminders is currently 1,250, up from 500 in 2004. This is not a significant increase when the range of supports and the tax relief are taken into account.

I understand that since 2011 there has been a reduction in funding for Childminding Advisory (CMA) posts by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs). The HSE has indicated that, in light of the pressure on resources, the CMA posts are not a priority. However, the Executive has confirmed that it will endeavour to support the CCCs wherever possible. In addition, the childcare development staff in the CCCs continue to ensure that support and advice is available to childminders.

My Department provides annual funding to each CCC to enable it to support and advise all childcare providers at local level. In 2012, the total amount allocated to the CCCs was €11.3m. In addition, my Department provided €220,000 for Childminding Development Grants to be allocated by the CCCs. My Department also provides annual funding, totalling €2.85m in 2012, to the seven National Voluntary Childcare Organisations, including Childminding Ireland, who provide support at a local level to their members.

Decisions on how best to regulate the childminding sector will continue to form part of the ongoing work on the Early Years Strategy.