Pre-schools will have to register to operate legally

New laws will oblige all pre-school services to be registered in order to operate, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has confirmed.

Ms Fitzgerald said legislation would be introduced during the current Dáil session on the registration, regulation and enforcement of pre-school services.

In particular, it will introduce a range of enforcement powers for inspectors at pre-prosecution level.

Ms Fitzgerald said the legislation, currently being finalised, was part of an agenda aimed at improving quality within early years services and enhancing the regulatory regime.

“The 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,” she said.

Last July, the Government approved the heads of new legislation to amend the Child Care Act 1991, the primary legislation regulating childcare policy.

The planned legislation will increase the penalty for an offence under the act to a maximum class A fine; that is, a fine not exceeding €5,000.

“Under the proposed new system, all pre-school services will have to be registered in order to operate,” said Ms Fitzgerald. “Inspectors will be empowered to specify conditions that a service must comply with and the threat of removal of registration will be available.”

She told the Dáil that, as of Thursday, 914 pre-school inspection reports have been published on the Pobal website since July.