Childcare Services
Dail Éireann — 2025-11-12
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

As the Deputy said, in a survey recently published by Childminding Ireland, 393 childminders responded to a question about their intentions for when registration becomes mandatory. Some 44% said they were undecided, 32% said they intended to stop childminding and 24% said they intended to register with Tusla. While those who responded to the survey and answered the question represent a small proportion of childminders, with census data indicating there may be approximately 13,000 non-relative childminders across the country, I fully understand the sense of uncertainty and anxiety childminders may be experiencing in this period of transition in relation to registration.
Significantly, those childminders who answered the same survey and who had already gone through the process of registration reported very positively on their experiences. In fact, only 4% described their experience as negative - we would not want any percentage there, and we have to work on that - while less than one in eight of those who had been previously registered and who now operate under the new regulations were dissatisfied.
I therefore believe that communications will be essential to addressing many childminders' concerns. A national communications strategy is a key element in phase 2 of the national action plan for childminding during the transition period, which lasts until September 2027. Work on this strategy has begun, aiming to inform childminders and parents about the changes, the supports available and what to expect. The childminding-specific regulations, which came into effect in September 2024, are designed to be proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work.
Childminders were consulted on and involved in all aspects of the development of the regulations. Both the steering group for the national action plan for childminding and the various advisory groups that have supported it have included childminders as well as representatives of Childminding Ireland. The steering group will meet again in December in relation to the action plan and advancing supports, communications and any further benefit we can give to childminders to support them in terms of registration.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-11-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-11-12