Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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573. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of reinstating the childminding advisory service. [23663/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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It is estimated that some 20 Childminding Development Officers have exited the early years sector over the last number of years. The estimated cost of reinstating these posts on a like for like basis is in the region of €800,000 per annum. However, this estimate should be treated with a degree of caution owing to significantly changed landscape of the childcare sector since these officers were in place.

An expert working group report on child-minding was presented to Minister Katherine Zappone on 26 March 2018 which makes important recommendations on the childminding sector. The report, Pathway to a Quality Support and Assurance System for Childminding in Ireland, outlines a vision for the development of the childminding sector over the next decade. DCYA is currently considering the recommendations contained in the report and it is anticipated that an action plan containing short, medium, and long-term goals for the sector will be published within the next year. 

In this new environment and given the shifting context of the childcare environment in the last few years , the actual cost of reinstating a form of the childminding advisory officers would be difficult to estimate given that the profile and role of these officers would be significantly different from that of the previous officers .