The setting up of an agency to deal with the placement of au pairs would cost about €500,000 a year, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone told the Dáil.

She was responding to a Fianna Fáil Private Member's Bill proposing the agency. Fianna Fáil spokeswoman Anne Rabbitte said the Bill would outlaw the practice of au pairs and host families finding each other directly via exchange websites.

Ms Zappone said: “I . . . appreciate that many families have already honoured their au pair’s entitlements as employees and recognised the protection offered to them under both Irish and European law,’’ she said.

Ms Zappone said the proposal to exempt au pairs from employment law ran contrary to the ruling of the Workplace Relations Commission, the National Minimum Wage Act as well as the Court of Justice of the European Union. She said the Bill sought to distinguish Ireland as being the only country in Europe that did not have a legal definition for au pair, while ignoring the definition the EU courts had put on employment.

Ms Rabbitte said the agency would usually interview the potential au pair as well as the host family and identify the suitability of both.

“Under our legislation, for an au pair place to be considered as such by law, au pairs and host families will have to go through an accredited agency or an intermediary,’’ said Ms Rabbitte. She said the Bill provided for a written agreement between the host family and the au pair prior to entering any arrangement. “These agreements will be standardised according to regulations set down by the Minister in conjunction with the sector,’’ she added. “The written agreement will ensure both families and the au pairs enter into an arrangement with both eyes open.’’