Public Consultation on a Review of Regulations for Early Learning and Care

Leagan Gaeilge ar fáil ach cliceáil ar “Languages – Gaeilge” thuas

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has launched a public consultation on a review of the Regulations governing Early Learning and Care. The review will primarily focus on enforcement powers of the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate, the independent statutory regulator for the sector. However, the Department will also take the opportunity to conduct a wider but limited examination of lessons learned from the implementation of the Regulations since 2016.

You can make your views known by completing the online survey by 06 May 2022 or responding to the call for submissions by 27 May 2022.

PLEASE NOTE THE EXTENSION - SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL FRIDAY 27 MAY

Purpose

The regulation of early learning and care (ELC) services is provided for in the Child Care Act 1991 (as amended by the Child and Family Agency Act 2013) and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. The Act provides substantial powers to the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate (Tusla EYI) in relation to registration, inspection and enforcement. The Regulations set out the minimum standards ELC services must meet in order to register with the Tusla EYI and to operate an ELC service.

In 2019, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs announced that a review of the enforcement powers of the Tusla EYI would be undertaken by the Department and that the Chair of Tusla had been consulted to get the views of the Board on the matter. In particular, the Minister wished to extend Tusla’s powers to enable it to close down or suspend services immediately, where it had significant safety or welfare concerns in relation to a service. The review was to also consider how parents can be informed at the earliest possible opportunity of serious concerns about a service being investigated by Tusla EYI.

While work on the review commenced in 2019, it was, by necessity, paused during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth recommenced this important work in 2021. As the regulation of ELC services impacts a wide range of stakeholders including providers, early years educators, parents and children, the Minister also wishes to obtain the views of those stakeholders and the wider public on the review.

How to participate

A background document on this review of the ELC Regulations can be found here in English and here in Irish.

Please complete our survey here. An Irish language version of the survey is available through this link by clicking ‘Gaeilge ’. Participants will be asked questions under the three themes of the consultation.

You may also make a more detailed submission. Read the call for submissions and complete the submission template here. An Irish language version of the submission template is available through this link by clicking Gaeilge.

Closing date for completion of the survey is close of business, Friday, 06 May 2022.

Closing date for receipt of submissions is close of business, Friday, 27 May 2022.

If you would like to register your interest in participating in further phases of this public consultation, e.g. in focus groups, please email us at ELCQuality@equality.gov.ie

What we will do with your response

Responses will be collated and analysed by DCEDIY. Following initial analysis focus groups will be organised as part of this consultation. Once the consultation has concluded the Minister will publish a consultation report. Extracts from submissions or survey answers may be quoted in the report. Your views will contribute to the further development of legislation governing Early Learning and Care.

Please note that submissions will not be responded to.

Freedom of Information

All submissions and survey answers are subject to release under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 and are also subject to Data Protection legislation.

Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission and it will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under FOI legislation.

The results of this consultation can be found here.