Childcare Services
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-18
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

I appreciate that the Deputy has come with many positive suggestions for how we can collaboratively support childminders going forward. Already the Department provides funding to each of the county and city childcare committees so that there is a specific individual who is a childminding development officer in place in each of the committees to work directly with childminders. That is an important access point for childminders and it will be drawn upon more and more. I have already outlined a stronger communication campaign which we are in the process of undertaking. We will do all we can - and I appreciate the many examples the Deputy gave - to ensure the maximum number of people are engaging on a consistent basis before 2027. It is a feature of life that there is always a rush towards the end and I absolutely accept that it would be better if there were a consistent registration so we will continue to work on that. I appreciate the Deputy's input.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:29+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-18