Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla will address a matter (details supplied) as a priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51054/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Under Regulation 8 of The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, a registered provider of a pre-school service is required to notify the Early Years Inspectorate in Tusla (the Child and Family Agency), in writing, of any proposed change in details in relation to their service contained on the National Register of Early Years Services. This application must be made at least 60 days before it is proposed that the change will take effect. The full list of changes to be notified to the Early Years Inspectorate is outlined in Schedule 4 of the 2016 Regulations, together with a copy of the prescribed application form, which must be completed and returned to the Inspectorate for processing. In certain cases, where a Registered Provider has been unable for good and proper reason to notify the Inspectorate within the required 60 day timeframe, then the Registered Provider must notify the Inspectorate in writing as soon as possible thereafter.

The Early Years Inspectorate endeavours to facilitate the processing of all completed applications for changes in circumstances as expeditiously as possible, provided such applications are complete and accompanied by all of the required supporting documentation.

In the particular case referred to here, the Inspectorate received an application from the service on 21 November 2018 for a change to the service-type to full day care. Some of the required supporting documentation for this application is still outstanding, however. The Early Years Inspectorate is currently engaged with the Registered Provider to obtain the required documentation so that this application can be processed as quickly as possible.