Childminding Ireland
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Email (11-20)
The proposed review looks at how clearly regulations are written and how Tusla supports compliance, but not whether the rules suit childminding in practice. Many requirements, such as fixed notice periods or constant emergency cover, do not reflect how childminders work. The review assumes the model is correct, rather than asking if it is fit for purpose.
Meeting (2-5)
Following a meeting with Norma Foley, five key asks were set out: a system-wide review, independent oversight, real childminder input, a pause before 2027 registration, and reappointment of Childminding Ireland to the NAPC group. Childminding Ireland also briefed TDs and Senators, and will meet the Oireachtas Committee for Children and Equality.
Phone call (11-20)
To discuss practical arrangements for the Oireachtas AV Room presentation to all party TDs and Senators, and general concerns about the new childminding system.
Letter (6-10)
The review considers financial issues only in terms of registration, excluding the wider economics of childminding. Costs like insurance, tax limits, and admin burdens are treated separately, limiting what the review can find. Many childminders earn below minimum wage in practice. Without examining financial viability, the review cannot explain low registration or identify effective solutions.
Submission (1)
The proposed review focuses on why childminders are not registering, but not whether the system is sustainable once they do. Key issues like funding and financial viability are deferred elsewhere, creating a gap. For childminders, these are not separate concerns, an unsustainable system cannot be fixed by focusing on compliance alone.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.