Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she has taken to ensure that a larger number of child minders will be eligible providers under the single affordable child care scheme. [22430/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Affordable Childcare Scheme has been designed to facilitate the inclusion of childminders. However, it is essential that public subsidies are only provided to childcare providers where there is a sufficient level of assurance of the quality of provision. For this reason, the Affordable Childcare Scheme will be delivered through Tusla-registered childcare providers, both centre-based providers and childminders.

A working group has been established, chaired by Childminding Ireland (CMI), and including officials from Tusla and the Department, to make recommendations on reforms for the sector including proposals in relation to quality assurance, whether on a voluntary/non-statutory basis in the short term, or on a mandatory/statutory basis in the long term. These will include recommendations in relation to childminders who are exempt from registration with Tusla (Child and Family Agency) (those minding three or fewer pre-school children, or those minding school age children only). The recommendations are likely to include proposals to be progressed in the short, medium and long term, including the development of National Quality Standards for childminders and a proportionate system of quality assurance and regulation. The Group hopes to present its recommendations to me as Minister very shortly.

Depending on the recommendations of the Working Group, it is possible that other approaches to quality assurance may be developed for childminding, possibly on a temporary basis pending transition to full regulation. It is with that possibility in mind that the Heads of Bill and General Scheme for the Affordable Childcare Scheme proposes the possibility that approved providers under the Scheme may include both Tusla-registered providers and other approved providers whose quality has been assured by other mechanisms, to be specified in regulations. This proposed approach to the inclusion of childminders in the scheme is dependent on the development of a satisfactory approach to quality assurance. There is no question of providing subsidies where quality standards have not been assured.