Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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215. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will re-examine regulations recently introduced by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency which will compel child minders to complete Fetac level 5; if she is aware that this change in regulations may compel many persons who are providing child minding services in their own homes to discontinue this practice; if she is further aware that this will be a serious inconvenience to parents who prefer this arrangement rather than sending their children to a crèche; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18574/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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When the Early Years Quality Agenda was introduced in 2013 to further improve quality in early years services, one of the items to be progressed was the introduction of a requirement that all staff working with children in pre-school services must hold a qualification in early childhood care and education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) or equivalent. Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, this requirement will come into effect on 30 June 2016 for newly-registering services and on 31 December 2016 for existing services.

Under the Child Care Act 1991, childminders who care for more than 3 children of different families in the childminder's own home must be registered with Tusla and will be required to meet the minimum qualification requirement under the Child Care Regulations. Childminders who care for 3 or fewer children of different families, who care for one or more children of the same family and no other children, or who work in the child's own home, are exempt from the provisions of the Act and from the Regulations.

Existing registered childminders may access the Learner Fund, which was introduced to support childcare staff seeking to upskill to meet the new regulations.

The new qualification requirement is based on international evidence that says that increasing the qualification levels of staff in childcare increases the quality of the service and therefore improves the outcomes for children using the service. I have no plans, therefore, to review the Regulation governing minimum qualifications.

The Regulations include provision for an exemption for persons who intend to retire from the sector within the next few years and who do not wish to complete a course of study leading to a major award at Level 5. Persons who are granted this exemption will not be permitted to work in the pre-school sector after 1st September 2021. Registered childminders are entitled to apply for this exemption. Any such applications must be made through the local City/County Childcare Committee before 30th June.