Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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610. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if an analysis of the change in documentation requirements associated with the running and management by the voluntary sector of child care facilities has been carried out in view of changes to work practise as a result of media exposés and indeed interdepartmental and agency initiatives; and the impact this might have regarding contact time between staff and child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28573/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 which commenced on 30th June last. The new Regulations replace the Pre-School Service Regulations 2006.

The new Regulations contain a number of new requirements that must be satisfied by the providers of pre-school service, both private and community/not-for-profit, including a minimum qualification requirement for staff working directly with children. The Regulations also require that new pre-school services must register with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, prior to opening.

Some of the new requirements have associated documentary elements. For example, service providers must now have a complaints procedure in place under which all complaints received by the service must be dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner in accordance with the service’s complaints policy. A record of the complaint, including the nature of the complaint and the manner in which the complaint was dealt with, must be retained by the service.

A pre-school service provider is also now required to review the quality and safety of the care provided to the children in the service, including a review of the service’s policies and procedures, on an annual basis, and retain a record of the review.

While I accept that some of the new requirements contained in the Regulations will place some administrative burden on service providers (both private and community), I believe that all of the measures detailed in the Regulations are necessary to protect the health and safety and promote the development of the children attending the service.

The Deputy may wish to note that Tusla is currently working on a Quality and Regulatory Framework that will set out in some detail what will be expected of a service provider in the course of inspection. This Framework will be the subject of significant consultation with the sector before it is implemented, and training and information sessions will also be provided nationally to ensure that all service providers are familiar with the requirements and what will be expected of them.