Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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260. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the regulations in terms of staff to child ratios and other child welfare and protection regulations that exist for after school child care; her views on whether regulations in this area are not requisite to deal with expansion in the after-school sector for children up to 15 years of age; and her further views on whether they will need to be strengthened. [35383/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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School age childcare is not currently regulated in the State. The Programme for a Partnership Government 2016 contained specific commitments relating to School age childcare, including a commitment to the introduction of a new system to support and expand quality afterschool care for school age children. In view of these commitments, a Working Group on School Age Childcare was established in June 2016, comprising senior officials from my Department and from the Department of Education and Skills.

I expect the Working Group to report to me and to Minister Bruton shortly. The Working Group is expected to recommend that National Quality Standards be produced for school age childcare as a first step towards regulating the sector, and this work will commence immediately.