Agency wants all child-minders vetted by Garda

Barnardo's has called for all child-minders in the Republic to be registered with health boards and checked out by the Garda. This follows the life sentence passed on a woman in Britain on Monday for murdering a baby in her care. Certain child-minders in the State are not covered by the 1991 Child Care Act, which was implemented in December 1996.

Under Section 58 of the Act, certain people are excluded from its provisions. They are: relatives caring for one or more pre-school children (defined as being under six); people caring for pre-school children of the same family, i.e. siblings; and those caring for not more than three pre-school children of different families.

Ms Norah Gibbons, a senior social worker with Barnardo's in Dublin, said yesterday that she would like to see everyone other than relatives of the children being cared for registered.

In addition, rather than registration being a matter for the individuals concerned, as is the case now, she would like to see the onus placed on health boards to prepare registers for their areas.

"Nobody wants to see a punitive system introduced," she said, "but I would be anxious that there be support and training for childminders. Everybody would benefit from registration. Parents could ring up and see who is on the register for their area." She felt that while this week's case in England was "a salutary lesson for everybody", the abuse it revealed was not a common occurrence and there was no cause for panic. And, although the checking system in England had failed in that case, she pointed out that "at least they have a [police] checking system - not like here". In her view, everyone on a childminders' register here should be subject to a Garda check.

It is understood that inspections by health boards under the Act have only recently begun and that very few child-minders have notified boards of their existence, as they are required to do under the Act.

During the sentencing hearing at Norwich Crown Court on Monday it emerged that Helen Stacey (41) had concealed the fact that three of her own four children had been taken into care or adopted as infants, while she also had a history of depressive illness and had worked as a prostitute.

British government sources suggested that tough new controls on child-minders would be introduced following Stacey's conviction. Two weeks ago the government-commissioned Better Regulation Task Force rejected the idea of a "nanny register", saying parents should take responsibility for those they choose to look after their child at home.

While the Social Security Secretary, Ms Harriet Harman, yesterday said the government was looking at the feasibility of a register, senior government sources were suggesting such a move was unlikely.

Meanwhile, an Australian nanny has been charged with murder following the death of a baby girl in London in April. Ms Louise Sullivan (26) was originally charged with grievous bodily harm following the death of six-month-old Caroline Jongen.