Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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611. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the criteria to become a member of the advisory group established for the childcare sector. [10046/20]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department and I are engaging extensively with stakeholders in the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age (SAC) sector.

Consultation with stakeholders has always been central to the work of my Department, and the Early Years Forum (EY Forum) is a key part of this. The EY Forum meets several times a year and includes representatives of providers, parents and academics with an interest in the ELC and SAC sector. I established the ‘EY Forum Plus’ in March 2020 to widen representation by the sector, to aid my Department in developing a response to Covid-19. This group has met on a number of occasions over the past three months.

I recently established an Advisory Group and a Reference Group on the phased re-opening of ELC and SAC services on 29 June 2020. The Advisory Group had its first meeting on 13 May and has met 4 times since. A separate Reference Group representing other stakeholders had its first meeting on 28 May.

In establishing the Advisory Group on the phased reopening of the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector, I provided six places for sectoral representatives, to be filled by members of the Forum Plus group. The sector itself decided on the nominees and these include representatives from the Association of Childhood Professionals, PLÉ, Seas Suas, Early Childhood Ireland, the National Childhood Network and the National Community Forum.

I added Childminding Ireland and SIPTU as members of the group, as they represent key parts of the early years sector not included in the list above, i.e. childcare staff and childminders. Pobal and Tusla are also members of the Advisory Group. I chair the meetings of the group and we have met on five occasions since 13 May 2020.

A number of additional provider representative groups contacted my Department seeking to be added to the membership of the Advisory Group. In response to such requests, I established a Reference Group, to supplement the work of the Advisory Group. The Reference Group includes representatives from the Federation of Early Childhood, the Association of Full-time Day Care Providers, St Nicholas Montessori and a number of service providers. I chaired the first meeting of the Reference Group on 28 May.