Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Quality assurance will be an absolute prerequisite for participation in the Affordable Childcare Scheme. The Scheme will be open to all Tusla-registered childcare providers, including child minders. In the Heads of Bill and General Scheme for the Affordable Childcare Scheme Bill, it is also proposed that the legislation should allow for the possibility of additional categories of childcare provider to access the scheme, including childminders who are currently exempt from the Early Years Regulations and standalone afterschool services, provided that such providers meet quality criteria that are to be specified in accordance with the legislation. While it is proposed that the legislation should allow for this possibility, no decisions have yet been made on whether, when or by what criteria specified groups of non-registered providers might access the Scheme. The issue will be further considered during the process of drafting legislation and in consultation with stakeholders.

In order to meet the needs of parents whose preference is to use a child minder, and to build capacity to cater for increased demand in future years, the Department has commenced talks with Childminding Ireland (CMI) in recent months to explore a number of options around how quality can be assured within the childminding sector. A Working Group has been established, chaired by CMI, and including officials from Tusla and the DCYA, to make recommendations on reforms and supports for the sector in the short, medium and long term, and the feasibility and implications of the migration from voluntary to mandatory regulation. These will include recommendations in relation to childminders who are not currently eligible to apply for registration with Tusla (those minding three or fewer pre-school children, or those minding school age children only).

My colleague Minister Bruton and I will shortly publish an Action Plan on School Age Childcare which will include actions relating to the development of quality standards for the school age childcare sector, as well as the establishment of a Working Group to recommend a robust quality assurance system for centre-based school age childcare settings.