Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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1350. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to improve early years education in order to improve the rates of disadvantaged students progressing to higher level education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33856/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department is working closely with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on progressing the quality agenda for early years care and education. This includes cooperation on the new national quality support service, education focused inspections, and a review that I announced recently of education and training programmes that lead to qualifications in early childhood care and education.

The provision of quality early years education and other supports for young children should not be conditional on the expectation that more disadvantaged students will progress to higher level education. Early childhood education is 'a significant and distinct time in life that must be nurtured, respected, valued and supported in its own right.' This is a fundamental principle in Síolta, the national quality framework for early childhood education.