Written answers

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Care Services Regulation

Photo of Dara MurphyDara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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991. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce any new child care regulations for child care facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46014/13]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Pre-school services are governed by Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and by the Child Care (Pre-School Services (No. 2) Regulations 2006. These Regulations are supported by explanatory notes which offer guidance and assist in interpreting the Regulations. New National Quality Standards for Pre-School Services will be launched before the end of the year. These new Standards will replace the explanatory notes and will set out the outcomes and supporting criteria against which the quality of child care services will be measured.

Legislation to strengthen the current inspection regime and underpin the Pre-School Quality Agenda is expected to be enacted before the end of the year. This legislation will provide a statutory basis for registration of pre-school services and will introduce a range of new enforcement powers for Inspectors at pre-prosecution level. Under the proposed new system, all pre-school services will have to be registered in order to operate. Inspectors will be empowered to specify improvement conditions that a service must comply with; and the threat of removal of registration will be available. This system will, for the first time, provide for timely and effective regulation and enforcement of standards in pre-school services, backed up by statutory registration.

It is my intention to introduce new qualification requirements for staff delivering child care in the pre-school sector and the new legislative changes will provide for this. This will be an important new development as, at present, staff working in child care services other than under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, are not subject to any requirement in respect of qualifications. The minimum requirement of Level 5 for pre-school leaders delivering the pre-school year will be increased to Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ). In addition, all pre-school assistants, and all other staff caring for children in a pre-school service, will be subject to a minimum requirement of Level 5. This requirement will be effective from September 2014 for new services, and from September 2015 for existing services.

The legislation will also provide for the regulation of after-school childcare services. I expect to be in position the commence the development of after-school regulations in 2014.

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