WE SUPPORT THE AU PAIR IDEA FOR IRELAND

The au pair programme has a long and well-established tradition stretching back over more than 50 years in Europe and the world beyond. In Ireland it plays an important role for many families in organising their daily lives and for many young people who are eager to experience Irish culture and learn the English language.

The essence of the au pair programme is a simple and mutually beneficial exchange that takes place between a young person and a family with children. The young person joins the family as a temporary family member providing help with childcare and family arrangements. In exchange, the family gives the au pair a secure place in the family and pocket money, thus facilitating individual learning (particularly of the language of the host country) and mutual cultural exchange.

This interaction is freely sought and highly valued both by the au pairs and the host families that enjoy it. Tens of thousands of families and young people are currently benefiting from such arrangements in Ireland. These persons (au pairs and host families both) see this as a highly desirable and personally enriching experience.

This valuable experience needs to be protected in Ireland through clear legal guidelines that define the status of au pairs and host families and give these young people and Irish families a secure basis on which to continue to enjoy the benefits of au pairing.

The au pair relationship is not defined by how it is initiated (whether through an agency, an online service or personal contact). It is defined by the actual substance of what transpires between each au pair and each host family.

The key elements of au pair relationships have been laid out, for example, in the "European Agreement on Au Pair Placement" which was already passed by the Council of Europe in 1969. These include limited working hours, clear provision for language study, full and friendly integration of the au pair in the life and home of the host family and provision of a fair amount of weekly pocket money to cover the au pairs' incidental expenses. These are crucial but finally very simple arrangements that should be specified in a written agreement between host families and their au pairs.

Please support this petition to give au pairing the clear legal status in Ireland that it deserves as a vital and successful programme of cultural exchange.