What is a nanny?

What is a Nanny?

A nanny cares for and minds children within a family and works in the family home. They are entitled to at least minimum wage per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. Usual nanny requirements include the care of anything relating to the children, such as feeding them, cleaning up after them, laundry, and maintaining their room and play spaces.  A nanny can be live in or live out.

What qualifications are needed to become a nanny in Ireland?

There is no legal requirement for nannies to have formal qualifications. It is very much up to the individual family to determine if this is something that is important to them. However, ideally a nanny should have an up-to-date pediatric First Aid qualification (within the last 3 years). They should also be garda vetted.

What is the role of a nanny?

First and foremost the primary responsibility of a nanny is the care and well-being of the children they look after. This includes specific duties include the children’s laundry, maintaining the cleanliness of equipment, toys, and rooms used by the children and if required, the preparation of the children’s meals. Nannies are also expected to drop off and collect children from schools or creches.

In some instances, the nanny may be required to stay overnight or to travel with the family. All duties should be specified in the nanny’s employment contract prior to commencement of the role.

A nanny is not normally required to undertake general household duties unless this is specifically agreed upon within the job description.

Are nannies required to be registered?

There is no requirement to be registered with Tusla. When a family hires a nanny, they become the employer and are required to register with Revenue.

As an employer, you are responsible for deducting the PAYE, PRSI and USC from your nanny’s wages. You also must pay employer’s PRSI. The family has a responsibility to provide the nanny with a written contract and deduct all relevant taxes from the nanny’s salary and pay all taxes due to Revenue.

A nanny should be Garda Vetted before they commence working with children. SureSitter is registered as a relevant organisation with An Garda Siochana and so we can garda vet our carers. For more details see our vetting page.

It currently takes between two and four weeks to be vetted by the Gardaí.

How much should I pay my nanny?

All nannies are entitled to receive the minimum wage, currently €10.20 (from 1 January 2021 up from €10.10) per hour in Ireland. Beyond that the rate varies depending on a number of factors including experience, qualifications, and flexibility needed for the role e.g. will the nanny be required to travel with the family

Why choose a nanny?

Nannies work with one family at a time. This sole-focused care means that they will get to know the children well enough to know their individual needs and personalities and allows them to provide more one-on-one personalised care. The continuity of care provides stability for children.

Children will develop a strong relationship with their nanny, whilst parents are away from home. It is an important relationship for children and provides stability and security for children.

As they will be taking care of one families’ children, it allows the nanny to plan a variety of activities that are suited to the individual children’s needs. These include educational, physical, and social activities. It enables routines to be tailored to the needs of the children.

Nannies offer flexibility that other carers may not provide. They will often help out when needed, for example, longer/extra hours subject to prior arrangement, which means families can be reassured that they have childcare when they need it.

Do nannies have to be garda vetted?

By law, only Tusla registered childminders must have Garda vetting. It is best practice for all childminders and nannies to be garda vetted.

A vetting statement will show applicants if there are any convictions or prosecutions pending or completed recorded against them in the Republic of Ireland or elsewhere.

SureSitter is registered with An Garda Siochana to process Garda vetting on behalf of our carers. In addition, we also carry our ID verification checks. If a carer has verified their ID, it will be noted on their profile.

How do I find a nanny?

It’s really simple to find a nanny on SureSitter. Posting a nanny job is free and we guide through the process to ensure that you find the most qualified and suitable nanny for your needs. This includes specifying the type of care you need, whether it’s an after-school childminder to do school runs or full-time carer. Post a nanny job free today.