Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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126. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide free child hours and continuing professional development, CPD, days, as part of all Government funded schemes, to enable those working in the early childhood sector to implement fully the National Curriculum and Quality Framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4160/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Ireland, like many other European countries, does not provide for mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for early years practitioners. I would like to be in a position to provide for mandatory CPD but first I would like to see early years practitioners meet the new minimum qualification requirements.  

The Deputy may be aware that as part of the Early Years Quality Agenda aimed at improving the quality of childcare services, new qualification requirements for childcare staff working directly with children were announced last year. To support staff who are seeking to meet the new qualifications requirement, funding of €3 million is being made available over the two years 2014/2015 under the Learner Fund.

A National Early Years Quality Support Service, Better Start, has been introduced under the Early Years Quality Agenda. As part of that service, funding has been provided to allow for the recruitment of 30 graduates in early childhood care and education to work directly with services to improve quality, including assisting services in the implementation of the Síolta Framework and the Aistear Curriculum. The new service will work closely with the City and County Childcare Committees and the Voluntary Childcare Organisations to support service providers in improving the quality of their services. The work of the service will be based on a new Practice Guide based on Síolta and Aistear, which is currently being developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).