Professional childminders will be regulated by Government for the first time under plans announced on Thursday by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone.

The move will allow parents who use paid childminders who are not relatives or family members to avail of the new national childcare scheme (NCS), which is due to begin on October 29th and will replace a range of childcare support schemes.

The new scheme entitles families to financial supports, based on income, to access private and community childcare facilities.

Under the new draft plan, support and regulation in the sector will be extended to all paid, non-relative childminders, with a “phased approach” to the reforms.

The childminders will have to be Garda vetted and be trained in first aid. They will also be required to have “bespoke” qualifications, although the department has not yet decided what level these will be at.

The plan mainly addresses childminders who work in their own homes and who are self-employed. It does not propose to regulate nannies or au-pairs.