Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1205. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to introduce a single care and education rolling quality programme (details supplied), with close monitoring and regulation, regardless of whether or not parents take up the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30602/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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There are no plans to introduce a single care and education quality programme that comprises the merging of the Tusla's National Early Years Inspectorate and the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills (DES). Responsibility for the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate lies with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs while the Early-Years Education-Focused Inspections (to be introduced shortly) come under the remit of the Minister for Education and Skills.

The DES Inspectorate and the Tusla Inspectorate are committed to working closely together to ensure that the two inspection processes complement each other. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has established an Operations and Systems Alignment Group (OSAG) consisting of the agencies and Department sections that have a remit for early years provision. The purpose of the OSAG is to ensure the effective coordination of the work of these various bodies. Together, the DES Inspectorate and the Tusla Inspectorate will provide robust quality assurance with a view to supporting the improvement of the quality of provision in early years settings.