Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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406. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to re-examine the 2016 child care regulation requirements whereby only staff that are fully qualified with a major level 5 in early childhood care and education can be included in adult to child ratios. [33287/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The majority of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 came into effect on 30th June 2016.

The Regulations provide that each employee working directly with children attending the service must hold at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be equivalent. The Regulations clearly state that the service provider must ensure that their staff meet this standard.

This section of the regulations took effect on 30th June 2016 for services registering after that date and for all other services on 31st December 2016.

The 2017 European Semester: Country Specific Recommendations for Ireland, which were published on 22 May 2017, that 'Ireland should enhance social infrastructure....including quality childcare'. The minimum qualification requirement contained in the Regulations has an important role to play with regard to ensuring the provision of quality childcare by centre based childcare providers. Consequently, I have no plans to amend the Regulations.