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Minister Fitzgerald outlines plans for new laws on pre-school regulation

• All pre-school services will have to be registered in order to operate

• New bill will introduce a range of new enforcement powers for Inspectors at pre-prosecution level.

Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has today provided further details to the Dáil on her plans for new legislation on the registration, regulation and enforcement of pre-school services.

The Minister told the Dáil that her Department in conjunction with the HSE and other stakeholders, is progressing a Pre-School Quality Agenda involving a range of actions in eight key areas, aimed at improving quality within early years services and enhancing the regulatory regime.

Minister Fitzgerald stated that: “this Agenda is about ensuring high standards in pre-school services and to ensure that parents and the sector can have fullest confidence in the inspection and regulation systems.”

A key element of this Agenda is new legislation on the registration, regulation and enforcement of pre-school services.

The Minister told TD’s during question time that: “in July, the Government approved the heads of new legislation to amend the Child Care Act 1991. This legislation will increase the penalty for an offence under the Act to a maximum Class A fine.

“However more significantly, this legislation will provide a statutory basis for registration of pre-school services and will introduce a range of new enforcement powers for Inspectors at pre-prosecution level. Under the proposed new system, all pre-school services will have to be registered in order to operate. Inspectors will be empowered to specify conditions that a service must comply with; and the threat of removal of registration will be available. This system will, for the first time, provide for timely and effective regulation and enforcement of standards in pre-school services, backed up by statutory registration.”

The Minister indicated that this legislation is currently being finalised in conjunction with parliamentary counsel and it is my intention to bring it before the Oireachtas during the current term

In addition the Minister told the Dáil that, as of today, 914 pre-school inspection reports have been published on the Pobal website since July.