Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1238. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the future need for preschool and crèche services to meet the national quality standards as outlined in Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36909/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Early years services contracted to deliver the free pre-school year are required to use Síolta and Aistear to provide an appropriate educational and care programme for children in their pre-school year. Participating service providers may be supported in meeting this requirement by a range of designated support services and agencies, including their local City or County Childcare Committee. Service providers must facilitate visits and use advice from designated support staff from such organisations.

Síolta is designed as a self evaluation quality improvement tool. Not all early years services have the capacity to use Síolta optimally and to do so in the absence of a national mentoring service. As a quality improvement measure and to help develop the capacity of early years services, I announced earlier this year that new National Pre-School Standards are being developed and will be implemented later this year. These standards will replace all current guidelines and will be implemented and inspected in line with improved inspection systems. These standards are part of the agenda I am working to in improving early years provision.