A JOB where your apartment and car is paid for, you earn £450 a week, and you have use of a visa card and mobile phone.

Sounds like something on offer in the booming IT or computer sectors, but is fact as a nanny to the offspring of Celtic tigers and tigresses.

In a sign of our booming economy, Dublin company, Executive Nannies, is now offering childcare specialists opportunities to earn anywhere from £300 to £1,200 a week.

Manager Rebekah Lyons explains how their agency works.

"We’re a part of Portobello College which is directly involved in the training of childcare professionals, so we decided to open a childcare agency of our own.

"The nannies we employ fall into one of two categories. They either have to be a graduate from our college with a minimum of two years experience or, if they haven’t been a graduate, then they have to have a minimum of four years experience in nannying, and most of the second category have about 4-8 years experience."

The rewards for a quality nanny can be massive.

"There are some very good cases. A nanny may even live in a gate lodge or a separate bungalow to the rest of the family. She may even be given the floor of a Georgian house to herself.

"Clients range from solicitors, barristers or doctors to extremely wealthy tech millionaires. There are some really great opportunities out there we had one case recently where a person got a car, £450 per week, an apartment, a visa card and a mobile phone. Others often get clothing allowances. It all depends on a particular nanny."

Nannies earn anything from £300 to £1,200 per week, depending on the client.

"We find at the moment that a lot of childcare workers are moving from creches to nannying. Often, they get more satisfaction from having a one to one relationship with the child.

"One thing that a lot of clients forget is checking references is very important. Screening is vital, and it is recommended nannies meet with children before they actually start working with them.

"We even set up the Executive Nannies Network recently, as a kind of support network for those working in the field. We’ve only been in operation since last June, but with the college we already have 20 years experience," said Rebekah Lyons.

Extract from the Irish Examiner, 20 Apr 2001. Article by Conor Griffin