National guidelines for childminders will be published "shortly", the Minister of State for Children has said.
Brian Lenihan was speaking at the publication yesterday of a report on how best to assist employers with the provision of childcare facilities for their employees. The Supporting Employers, Supporting Childcare report was commissioned by the area childcare committees of the four Dublin local authorities.
It says that employers who support their staff in their childcare needs "have a wider pool to draw from at recruitment". It outlines options open to them, as well as information on grants and tax incentives for building creches or similar facilities.
Mr Lenihan welcomed the report and outlined provisions of the new national childcare investment programme which, he said, had plans for 50,000 additional childcare places - including 5,000 after-school and 10,000 pre-school places - and improved early childhood care.
"My office will shortly publish a set of national guidelines for childminders which have been developed by the National Childcare Co-ordinating Committee," he said.
Tony Donoghue, director of social policy with Ibec (Irish Business and Employers' Confederation) said Government policy was not adequately addressing the "major gap" in the provision of early education for pre-school-age children.
Mr Donoghue said money spent on the "expensive" universal childcare payment which was introduced in last year's budget and is worth €1,000 per annum per child under four, regardless of their parents' income, would have been better spent on "targeted early education".
