HOW TO HIRE · CHILDCARE & FAMILY · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a maternity nurse in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A maternity nurse in Ireland costs €180–€350 per day, typically around €250. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
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THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a maternity nurse in five steps
- Are you on the Tusla register of childminding services, and what is your number?A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — flexible Scheduling — maternity nurses can work flexible hours, accommodating the specific needs of families.
- How does nurse's experience change the price?Accreditation narrows the field and lifts the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does level of care required change the price?A simple finish is quick; a refined one is not. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does any additional services provided change the price?It is the difference between a quick visit and a long one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Household Assistance — in addition to baby care, maternity nurses can help with light household tasks such as meal preparation and laundry to ease the transition for new parents — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a maternity nurse job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
Tusla Early Years Inspectorate — childminding registration
The childminding regulations apply only to a childminder caring for children in the CHILDMINDER'S OWN HOME.
Search the Tusla register of childminding services for the name or the registration number before you agree a price. tusla.ie →
Where the rules stand now
A childminder caring for 3 or fewer pre-school children, and 6 or fewer children in total, remains exempt for the transitional period. Registration becomes mandatory from September 2027. Registration is not yet mandatory for every childminder. Ask whether this childminder is registered, and if not, whether they fall inside the transitional exemption — both answers are legitimate in 2026.
Ask where they are in the process, and when they expect to be registered — the date is September 2027 either way. tusla.ie →
Garda vetting
National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012–2016 The regulation requiring vetting of household members aged 16 and over commenced on 1 February 2025. Vetting is carried out through a relevant organisation, not by a parent directly. Ask to see the disclosure the childminder holds.
Ask to see the garda vetting letter itself, with its date on it — not a statement that one exists.
Insurance
Expect public liability covering minding in the home; ask to see it. You are booking an individual for a set number of hours, so ask whether the ID has been checked and what the rating is from people who booked the same way — there is no company behind them to carry either.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
VAT
No VAT: this service is exempt, so there is none to add and none to reclaim. A quote that adds it is wrong. An individual working under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge VAT at all, and does not have a VAT number to give you.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — flexible Scheduling — maternity nurses can work flexible hours, accommodating the specific needs of families.
A good answer: Accreditation narrows the field and lifts the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: A simple finish is quick; a refined one is not. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: It is the difference between a quick visit and a long one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Household Assistance — in addition to baby care, maternity nurses can help with light household tasks such as meal preparation and laundry to ease the transition for new parents — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a maternity nurse job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability covering minding in the home; ask to see it — parental Guidance — these professionals offer valuable advice to new parents on infant care, breastfeeding techniques, and managing sleep deprivation.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the maternity nurse starts, and an itemised invoice after — newborn Care Support — maternity nurses provide essential care for newborns, including feeding, changing, and soothing.
Booking by the hour
- The rate per hour, and whether it changes in the evening or at a weekend
- The minimum booking, and what happens if the job finishes early
- What they bring and what you supply
- Whether the ID has been checked, and the rating from people who booked the same way
- Insurance, where the work can damage something or somebody
- The hours and the list of what is to be done, agreed before the first one
Walk away if
- They are not on the Tusla register of childminding services, or the number does not resolve to the name on the quote
- They will not talk about it: nurse's experience — accreditation narrows the field and lifts the price
- They will not talk about it: level of care required — a simple finish is quick; a refined one is not
- They will not talk about it: any additional services provided — it is the difference between a quick visit and a long one
- A price for the maternity nurse before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
What a maternity nurse costs: €180–€350 per day
The figures are for the job, per day, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Night maternity nurse and Daytime maternity nurse each carry their own band. Maternity Nurse price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Maternity nurses near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstNurse's experience — accreditation narrows the field and lifts the price — that is what the maternity nurse is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneLevel of care required — a simple finish is quick; a refined one is not — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfAny additional services provided — it is the difference between a quick visit and a long one — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherComplex cases — fine work is checked more often, and checking takes time — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the maternity nurse is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, caring for multiples or infants with special needs — a simple job follows a routine; a complex one does not.
- Newborn Care Support
- Maternity nurses provide essential care for newborns, including feeding, changing, and soothing.
- Parental Guidance
- These professionals offer valuable advice to new parents on infant care, breastfeeding techniques, and managing sleep deprivation.
- Household Assistance
- In addition to baby care, maternity nurses can help with light household tasks such as meal preparation and laundry to ease the transition for new parents.
- Flexible Scheduling
- Maternity nurses can work flexible hours, accommodating the specific needs of families.
- Night Maternity Nurse
- Provides overnight care for the newborn, allowing parents to get uninterrupted sleep.
- Daytime Maternity Nurse
- Supports parents during the day with infant care and household tasks.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a maternity nurse: questions people ask
The cost can vary based on the nurse's experience, qualifications, and the level of care required. Additional factors include location and whether you need overnight or daytime support.
The duration can range from a few days to several weeks, depending on the family's needs. Many families opt for services during the first few weeks post-birth, but this can be adjusted as necessary.
Same-day availability can vary by provider. It's advisable to book in advance, but some maternity nurses may offer last-minute services depending on their schedule.
Maternity nurses generally do not perform medical tasks such as administering medications or providing medical advice. Their focus is on non-medical support for both the newborn and the family.
Search the name or the registration number. If the number does not resolve to the name on the quote, stop there.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in childcare & family
Maternity nurses near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- Tusla — childminding registration opened 30 September 2024
- Tusla — childminding services FAQs
- Department of Children — new regulations for childminding
- National Action Plan for Childminding 2021–2028
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Revenue — CHILDMINDING (Children and education) — Exempt
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only