Written Answers Nos. 782-802
782. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to expand the provision for newborns and their parents of a Baby Bundle; to confirm if a cost review has been carried out; and if there are plans to roll-out an expanded version of the scheme nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45272/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraA pilot Little Baby Bundle scheme was undertaken in 2023 and an independent evaluation of the pilot was completed.
The Little Baby Bundle has been designed to be a gift from the State for new parents, welcoming a new arrival to their family, and as an acknowledgement by the State of this very significant and special moment for parents. The Bundle included key items to support parents after the birth of their baby, to support parent-infant bonding, and to promote parent and infant health and wellbeing. The importance of these supports to disadvantaged families in particular was acknowledged in the evaluation and was an important aspect behind the launch of the pilot. The programmes in Scotland & Finland were identified as examples from which the pilot was inspired.
Through the pilot, 500 Bundles were provided for participating parents. 350 Bundles were available for women receiving prenatal care at our pilot site at the Rotunda Hospital Dublin, and 150 for University Hospital Waterford. Parents gave feedback on the experience which influenced development of the Bundle for wider roll-out proposals. The pilot was very well received by participating families and health and social care providers. The Baby Bundle contents have been updated in response to feedback from families and professionals participating in the pilot.
An additional smaller pilot will shortly get underway in the north east inner city area of Dublin. This limited pilot will test methods of staying in touch with young families in the year after they receive a baby bundle for their new baby.
783. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will commit to investment to deliver the long promised community neurorehabilitation team for the South East, given the areas of the South East that come under HSE Integrated Healthcare Areas of Waterford/Wexford and Carlow/Kilkenny/South Tipperary remain the only region of the country which has not received funding to date to support the establishment of a local community neurorehabilitation team in line with the nationwide rollout committed to within the current Programme for Government (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45286/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
785. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains a national record of the permanency objective assigned to each child in care; if not, whether she will direct Tusla to develop such a dataset; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45323/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla, the Child and Family Agency, publishes annual data in relation to children in care on its website: www.tusla.ie/publications/review-of-adequacy-reports/. This data includes information regarding the length of time children in care have spent in alternative care, at a given point in time. In addition, in 2022 the Department launched a research and data programme, Care Experiences: Journeys Through the Irish Care System, which is being run in close collaboration with Tusla. The Care Experiences Programme comprises a combination of primary research and administrative data analysis to examine and better understand the lives of children and young people in care and aftercare and adults who were in care as children, including permanency and their pathways through care more generally.
Tusla has advised that all placements of children in care are subject to review on a six-monthly basis for the first two years, and annually thereafter. These reviews consider and take account of the care plan for each child, including the permanency plan. Additionally, Tusla has developed a policy and operational document relating to permanency planning for children in care, the Pathways to Permanency Handbook. This document supports social work practitioners and decision makers in their aim to ensure stable and safe care placements for children.
Tusla has further advised that the objective of permanency planning is to provide children with the opportunity of reaching their full potential in a safe and secure base and secondly, to prevent drift in care when other more appropriate care solutions could be sought. A key component of permanency planning is concurrent planning which is an approach that involves social workers considering and pursuing all reasonable permanency options at the same time for children as soon as the children are admitted to care. In this context, a "permanency objective" may not be appropriate for all children in care.
Tusla is required by law to be independent in its work as set out in Section 8(11) of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. It would not be appropriate for the Department to interfere with the professional judgement of Tusla staff in relation to specific cases. Rather than seeking to intervene in the day-to-day operations, and in keeping with the provisions of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, the Department’s governance of Tusla is captured within its Oversight Agreement.
Bringing a child into the care of the State and maintaining them there is a significant matter, which requires careful consideration of the specific circumstances of each individual child and their family. This consideration, whether by the Child and Family Agency or the Courts in relation to orders under the Act, must also have regard to the constitutional rights of all parties as they arise in each individual case. Within this context, the Department is advancing proposals within the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 to support permanency for children in alternative care. This includes proposals to impose a maximum duration on Interim Care Orders and amendments to clarify the criteria and purpose of Voluntary Care Arrangements, which will be subject to regular review.
786. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Tusla Board and its Audit and Risk Committee will be required to receive regular reports on care drift, placement instability, permanency outcomes and the number of children remaining in care for more than two, five and ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45324/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
787. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has an any way to identify which Parliamentary Questions are AI generated; and the amount it costs, on average, to answer a Parliamentary Question. [45363/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department does not currently have a process in place to identify whether a Parliamentary Question has been generated or assisted by artificial intelligence.
It is not possible to determine the cost associated with responding to a Parliamentary Question as the level of resources and effort required for each question can vary. The cost may vary depending on the nature and complexity of each query, whether the information is readily available and the format in which the response is required including whether the Parliamentary Question is written or oral.
788. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE clinical psychologists posts filled within Wexford CDNT as of 8 June 2026; if she will provide the same figures as of 30 June 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45369/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
789. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her proposals to address the issue of children born in January losing out on ECCE years due to the current age cut off point (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45383/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ECCE programme provides up to two years of pre-school free of charge to families and has supported over 1 million children to attend regulated preschool for three hours per day over 38 weeks per year since its introduction in 2010. The age eligibility criteria for ECCE have evolved significantly over the lifetime of the programme. Owing to a number of factors, including challenges with the previous system of multiple entry points for children, parents, and providers, the age eligibility changed in 2018 to the current criteria, which provides two full years of ECCE for children starting at 2 years and 8 months to an upper age limit of 5 years and 6 months.
The ECCE programme is a pre-school programme based on the National Practice Frameworks - Aistear and Síolta. The current ECCE eligibility criteria were set based on a number of considerations, including national experience and a review of international practice. The lower age range is based on Tusla regulations for minimum adult-to-child ratios for children in early learning and childcare settings. These regulations take account of the needs and developmental stages of children such as toilet training and sleeping arrangements. The current arrangements also ensure that all children have the same entitlement of 2 years of ECCE regardless of their birth date, whereas with previous arrangements this was not always the case.
An independent review of the ECCE Programme was completed in 2024. This review examined how the programme is currently functioning and identified potential enhancements, informed by extensive engagement with parents, children, ECCE providers and educators. The review included consideration of the current age eligibility criteria and the potential for greater flexibility within these criteria. This review found that the younger age range in pre-school might struggle with the ECCE programme ratios, which is commonly 1 adult to 11 children in ECCE rooms.
In line with the Programme for Government commitment to “evaluate options to amend the ECCE eligibility criteria”, Department officials are considering potential changes. Shaping the Future, the recently published Early Years Action Plan Phase 1 Report, notes that the potential to extend the ECCE free pre-school programme and amend the age-eligibility criteria will be included in consultations and analysis under Phase 2 of the Action Plan. Phase 2 actions, which will be undertaken from 2027 through to the end of 2029, will be published in Q4 2026. Before Phase 2 actions can be specified in line with the Programme for Government commitment, a broad public consultation process is currently underway.
Any changes to the ECCE Programme will need to be carefully considered and grounded in robust evidence. This includes assessing the impacts on children’s development, families, ECCE providers and educators, as well as ensuring consistency, equity and sustainability across the programme.
790. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration is being given to putting the entitlement to an ECCE place on a statutory footing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45393/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) is a free, universal two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range funded by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE). First 5 - A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, commits to considering “changes to the preschool programme and commence the introduction to a legal entitlement to pre-school.” In 2024, an independent review of the ECCE programme was completed by Stranmills University, and a Report was published in April 2024. This report highlighted the international trend towards creating legal entitlements for preschool education. In line with the findings of this report, creating a statutory entitlement for ECCE is currently one policy option under consideration.
Current policy is focused on improved access to ECCE for children with disabilities through the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) and access to children experience disadvantage through the Equal Start funding model.
Shaping the Future: Early Years Action Plan (Phase 1 Report) sets out plans to achieve key Programme for Government commitments on the affordability, quality, and accessibility of early learning and childcare (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC). This overarching policy will consider how to maintain and strengthen the ECCE Programme as a free and universal preschool programme within the broader context of improving access and affordability of high quality ELC in Ireland.
791. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration is being given to amending the rules around entry to ECCE schemes to permit greater flexibility around age of entry, on foot of the Independent Review of the ECCE programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45394/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ECCE programme provides up to two years of pre-school free of charge to families and has supported over 1 million children to attend regulated preschool for three hours per day over 38 weeks per year since its introduction in 2010. The age eligibility criteria for ECCE have evolved significantly over the lifetime of the programme. Owing to a number of factors, including challenges with the previous system of multiple entry points for children, parents, and providers, the age eligibility changed in 2018 to the current criteria, which provides two full years of ECCE for children starting at 2 years and 8 months to an upper age limit of 5 years and 6 months.
An independent review of the ECCE Programme was completed in 2024. This review examined how the programme is currently functioning and identified potential enhancements, informed by extensive engagement with parents, children, ECCE providers and educators. The review included consideration of the current age eligibility criteria and the potential for greater flexibility within these criteria. This review found that the younger age range in pre-school might struggle with the ECCE programme ratios, which is commonly 1 adult to 11 children in ECCE rooms.
In line with the Programme for Government commitment to “evaluate options to amend the ECCE eligibility criteria”, Department officials are considering potential changes. Shaping the Future, the recently published Early Years Action Plan Phase 1 Report, notes that the potential to extend the ECCE free pre-school programme and amend the age-eligibility criteria will be included in consultations and analysis under Phase 2 of the Action Plan. Phase 2 actions, which will be undertaken from 2027 through to the end of 2029, will be published in Q4 2026. Before Phase 2 actions can be specified in line with the Programme for Government commitment, a broad public consultation process is currently underway.
Any changes to the ECCE Programme will need to be carefully considered and grounded in robust evidence. This includes assessing the impacts on children’s development, families, ECCE providers and educators, as well as ensuring consistency, equity and sustainability across the programme.
792. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will follow through on its threat to withdraw NCS and ECCE for services that have left the core funding system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45395/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCore Funding is a supply-side grant to early learning and childcare providers towards their operating costs. It is designed to promote affordability for parents and sustainability for providers through increased funding to the sector, paid on a consistent and equitable basis.
As Core Funding is an optional scheme, providers have the autonomy to withdraw from or choose not to participate in the scheme.
While the State cannot mandate providers to participate in the scheme, Core Funding has been designed with maximum participation of providers in mind as reflected in the year-on-year growth of investment in the Scheme (rising from €259 million in 2022 to over €390 million in 2025). This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding in three years.
Core Funding has enjoyed high participation from the sector since its launch in September 2022.
As of 5 June, 4,648 services are contracted to Core Funding programme year 2025/2026, which is 93.3% of all eligible services. Over 70% of services who left the scheme at one point have returned to the Scheme. 335 eligible services are currently not participating. These services are welcome to join Core Funding at any stage. The Department/CCC can support services with further information on how to join.
Currently, services that provide the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme and/or the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) are not required to take part in Core Funding, reducing the impact of the NCS as some families are not benefiting from the fee-control measures (fee-freeze and fee caps) or additional funding for quality provision that is provided by Core Funding. This will also be the case for the coming programme year 2026/2027.
However, to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce parental fees to €200 per month, the Phase 1 report of Shaping the Future states that a roadmap will be set out in Phase 2 to ensure that all publicly funded providers are supported to take part in Core Funding.
As noted in the Phase 1 report, this will include measures to reduce the administrative burden for providers of participating in publicly funded schemes.
Phase 2 of Shaping the Future is in development and will be published by year end.
793. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the process by which the 72 planned residential beds for intellectual disability will be allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45426/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
794. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there is a specific archaeological report for Bessborough in the archive of the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Inquiry held by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45447/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe reports of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes are available at the following links: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/final-report-of-the-commission-of-investigation-into-mother-and-baby-homes
and www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/collections/interim-reports-of-the-commission-of-investigation-into-mother-and-baby-homes-and-certain-related-matters/.
Information about the Commission’s investigations in relation to burials of people who were resident in the former institution at Bessborough are set out in Chapter 4 of its fifth interim report and Chapter 38a of its final report.
The arrangements for preserving the records compiled by a Commission of Investigation in the course of its work are prescribed in Section 43(2) of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004. This provides that, prior to its dissolution, a Commission must deposit all records with the prescribed Minister. On the expiry of a 30-year period thereafter, such records will be transferred to the National Archives where access is regulated in accordance with the National Archives Act 1986.
As an archive deposited with the Minister under section 43(2) the 2004 Act, the Commission’s records are subject to a general principle of confidentiality. The Department is the custodian of the archive until such time as it is transferred to the National Archives in accordance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1986 Act. Pending transfer to the National Archives, access to the archive can only be provided in response to access requests under the GDPR, where such records contain personal data, and Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, insofar as FOI legislation applies to the records.
795. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will produce the index to the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Inquiry archive and make it publicly available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45448/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe extensive records sources and file lists used by the Commission to inform its work are published in Part 5: Archives of The Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.
The Commission was not in possession of original records and the records listed in Part 5: Archives of the final report are copies of records provided to the Commission. Therefore, original records remain in the possession of the relevant statutory body and appropriate access is regulated in accordance with relevant statute.
As an archive deposited with the Minister under section 43(2) of the 2004 Act, its records are subject to a general principle of confidentiality. Section 11(1) of the 2004 Act specifies that a Commission shall conduct its investigation in private unless certain conditions for hearing evidence in public are met. Section 11(3) of the 2004 Act prohibits any person (including the Minister) from disclosing or publishing any evidence given or the contents of any document produced by a witness while giving evidence in private, with very limited exceptions.
The Commission dissolved as a legal entity on 28 February 2021. The Department is the custodian of Commission’s records until such time as they are transferred to the National Archives in accordance with the provisions of section 8 of the 1986 Act. The Department’s obligation is to preserve the archive pending its transfer to the National Archives. The Department is also required to respond to access requests under the GDPR where such records contain personal data and Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation insofar as FOI legislation applies to the records.
The National Centre for Research and Remembrance, which will be located in Seán MacDermott Street, Dublin 1, will stand as a site of conscience to honour equally all those who spent time in Industrial Schools, Magdalen Laundries, Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, Reformatories, and related institutions, and all those who have lived experience of Ireland’s historical adoption and boarded out systems.
The National Centre campus will house a research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in the 20th century, which will form part of the National Archives. Most of the records to be contained in the National Centre will transfer to the National Archives from a government department or State body who created, received or held the records in the course of their own business functions. A process has commenced across departments to prepare these records for transfer to the National Centre under the provisions of the National Archives Act 1986.
A Steering Group, comprising representatives from a number of different Departments and agencies, has been established to lead the development of the National Centre. A Legal and Legislative sub-group of this main Steering Group was also established to consider and develop policy responses and legislative proposals in relation to the management of, and access to, the records which will form part of the repository.
As an interim measure, while the above process is being progressed, work is underway to develop an online resource to provide survivors and affected people with up-to-date information in relation to what records exist, where they are currently located, and how to access them. It is expected that the resource will be available on the National Centre website []/www.gov.ie/nationalcentre.later this year.
796. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of special care beds available to Tusla per month in the past 24 months, per location, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45492/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this question. The Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy on this matter.
797. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of social work vacancies currently in Tusla as broken down in each role/ job title. [45493/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.
798. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to initiate a periodic critical review of Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45494/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThank you Deputy for your question.
Tulsa’s role is to support and promote the development, welfare, education, and protection of children and young people. It is an organisation that operates in a very challenging and demand led environment, providing vital services to children, young people, and families during difficult times in their lives and sometimes involving very complex needs.
Tusla activity is already subject to extensive external review in relation to service provision, by regulatory authorities including the Ombudsman, Children's Ombudsman, Comptroller and Auditor General and the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the independent National Review Panel.
I have no plans currently, to initiate a periodic critical review of Tusla. That said, this Department keeps the governance and oversight of Tusla under ongoing review. It has established processes in place so that it is assured that Tusla's actions are aligned with the priorities and the Minister's goals as set out in the Department’s Statement of Strategy.
799. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently provide childcare facilities for children with special needs in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45579/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2024/25 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 25% from the 2021/22 programme year.
However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.
The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.
This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.
Separately, I recently announced €135 million of capital investment over the coming five years for State-led services to provide high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative.
There are several measures that will be taken to ensure inclusion and quality in State-led services, including assessments of alignment with the Universal Design Guidelines in the planning stage and requiring services to participate in the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) . Services will also be required to participate in comprehensive assessments of operators’ governance, management and delivery history during the selection process. This will ensure that State-led services are located in high quality buildings and are run by high quality operators.
AIM is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. The goal of AIM is to empower early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of high-quality early learning and care through universal and targeted supports.
In line with a commitment in First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, an independent evaluation of AIM was undertaken in order to inform an extension of AIM beyond the ECCE programme as well as any potential enhancements to the model.
The findings from the evaluation were published in January 2024 and have informed the phased extension of AIM. Since September 2024, AIM has been expanded beyond time spent in the ECCE programme for ECCE-aged children. This allows children to access early learning and childcare for up to an additional 3 hours per day in term and 6 hours per day out of term.
It is intended that, over time, all children with additional needs registered in Early Learning and Care services will have access to supports under AIM. Officials in the Department are engaging in a comprehensive policy development process during 2026 to extend AIM to children aged under three in future years, underpinned by consultations with key stakeholders. It is also intended to give consideration at a later date to an extension of AIM for children attending school-age childcare (SAC).
It is critical that both of these policy responses are strongly evidence-based and reflective of the needs of children. This requires tailoring of AIM and differentiation of approaches for each age cohort.
In addition to this, an action plan has been developed to respond to areas for improvement, including increasing awareness of AIM, further building the capacity and confidence of educators and providers in supporting children with autism and streamlining the application process for equipment, appliances, and minor alterations.
The Department also funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance. The contact details for the Kerry County Childcare Committee may be found at www.kerrycountychildcare.com/
800. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown, by individual early learning and care and school-age childcare services, of the total core funding payments made under the scheme in year three and year four, showing the amount received by each service in each year respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45729/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy in due course.
801. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons who have received support through personal budget arrangements and personal managed funds; the total number of hours provided under those arrangements, in each of the past three years and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45775/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
802. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to extend the national childcare scheme for childminding in the childminder's home and childminding in the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45826/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll paid, non-relative childminders who work in their own homes can now register with Tusla and access the National Childcare Scheme.
The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation to childminders. A key objective of the National Action Plan for Childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to also benefit from State subsidies through the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered childminders are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
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. The 2024 Act, under which the timeframes are established, provides for a transition period of three years, to September 2027, after which registration is due to become mandatory. This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.
The National Action Plan for Childminding distinguishes childminding which involves care in the childminder’s home from care that takes place in the child’s home, which may be carried out by a nanny, au pair or babysitter. This distinction is also reflected in the legal definition of a childminder set out in the primary legislation. The employment relationship and the legal and regulatory context are different between childminders who work in the childminder’s home and someone who works in the child’s home (e.g. nannies and au pairs). A childminder working from the childminder’s own home is self-employed, whereas someone caring for a child in the child’s own home is regarded as an employee of the child’s parents. In addition, because they work in the parents’/child’s home rather than their own home, au pairs and nannies cannot be held responsible for the safety or suitability of that home for the purpose of early learning or childcare. Furthermore, the employment of someone in the child’s home may involve a combination of caring with other roles, e.g. cleaning or other domestic duties. This would require a different regulatory and funding approach, which has not yet been scoped.
While the Department has successfully completed Phase 1 of the National Action Plan, considerable challenges lie ahead during Phase 2 in supporting the large number of unregistered childminders to register with Tusla and take part in the National Childcare Scheme before the end of the transition period. Given the scale of the challenge that still remains, my priority is to deliver on the remaining phases of the National Action Plan in the coming years.
