Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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960. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to introduce mandatory paediatric first-aid training for childcare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32743/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It is a regulatory requirement for an early learning and care service to have a person trained in first aid for children immediately available, at all times, to the children attending the service. In the Quality and Regulatory Framework published in 2018, Tusla, the independent statutory regulator, recognised the First Aid Responder (FAR) education and training standard established by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) as meeting this requirement as it is inclusive of content and instruction relating to first aid for children.

Whilst it was originally planned that services would have until June 2020 to comply with this new requirement, Tusla have agreed that due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the timeframe would be extended into 2021. In addition, for those staff that already have FAR certification which has now expired or is due to expire, their certificates will remain valid until FAR training courses are up and running again.

In 2019, my Department made financial support available to enable early learning and care services, including Tusla-registered childminders, to avail of FAR training, through the Learner Fund. This funding was continued into 2020. By the end of this year, my Department will have provided more than €376,000 to support 1,867 individuals in early learning and care services to complete the training.