Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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734. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her Department's work to ensure the additional bureaucracy involved in registering childminders does not result in a decrease of available childminders. [34386/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, launched in April 2021, set out a pathway for the extension of registration to childminders. A key objective of the National Action Plan for Childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the National Childcare Scheme. As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the Childminding Services Regulations, which came into effect on 30 September 2024, childminders are now able to apply to register with Tusla and can therefore also take part in the National Childcare Scheme.

This was a milestone in the implementation of the National Action Plan for Childminding. Phase 1 of the National Action Plan for Childminding, which is now complete, included extensive consultation with childminders, parents and other stakeholders. The childminding-specific Regulations, which were initially developed by the Regulation and Inspection Advisory Group, whose stakeholder membership includes childminders and Childminding Ireland, are proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work. In finalising the Regulations, substantial changes were made in response to feedback in the public consultation last year.

In addition, an independent external review of the draft regulations was carried out by Dr Bill Maxwell, the former CEO of Education Scotland, former Chief Inspector in both Scotland and Wales, and OECD consultant, which confirmed that the approach was proportionate for childminding in Ireland.

The childminding-specific Regulations are designed to be proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work. The regulations differ substantially from regulations for centre-based childcare.

The National Action Plan for Childminding commits to a review of the initial implementation of the childminding-specific Regulations before 2028. My Department will undertake this review, which will include consultation with childminders and other stakeholders, during the transition period.