A coalition of over 40 organisations has called for mandatory garda vetting of home-based, paid, private childminders and all other adults in their households.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Start Strong's Toby Wolfe said it is unacceptable that most of the country's 19,000 non-relative minders are exempt from vetting and any other form of regulation.
Mr Wolfe said they are not talking about vetting friends, neighbours or babysitters but paid childminders who are looking after children for long hours every day.
He said it has worked in other countries such as Scotland where all paid childminders are required to be registered.
Mr Wolfe was responding to Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald, who said it would prove challenging to over-regulate arrangements that parents make with friends and neighbours.
