Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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1849. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how often naíonraí are inspected by TUSLA and her Department. [19501/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The early years sector includes pre-school, childminding and school-age childcare services. Quality assurance of pre-school services currently includes inspections carried out by both the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate and the Department of Education Inspectorate, while inspection of school-age childcare services and childminding services is undertaken by the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate. Irish-medium services are inspected as part of the normal inspection cycle by both Inspectorates at the same frequency as English-medium services.

The Tusla Early Years Inspectorate is the independent statutory regulator for the early years sector. Tusla are committed to ensuring that children attending pre-school, childminding and school-age services are safe, that they receive appropriate care and have a positive experience where they can develop and learn in a quality service. Tusla aims to inspect all early learning and care services on their register at least once every three years. More frequent inspections of services may take place depending on the circumstances of a particular service.

The Department of Education inspections of early learning and care services are carried out in accordance the Education Act 1998 and support evaluation of early learning pedagogy in a diverse range of early learning and care settings. In line with a Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Minister for Education and the Inspectorate of the Department of Education, inspections are carried out in early learning and care settings that are funded by my Department to deliver services for children aged birth to six years, including the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The Education Inspectorate liaises with the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate in order to avoid, as far as is practicable, overlapping inspections or the scheduling of different types of inspection within an unduly short timeframe.

My Department also oversees the ECCE and National Childcare Scheme programme compliance inspection function which is administered by Pobal, to ensure that programme expenditure is being used appropriately. Pobal inspects between 20 and 25 percent of all service providers annually, which means that most services providers in contract with the Department for the ECCE programme and National Childcare Scheme should receive an inspection visit at least once in every four years. Compliance visits include Irish-medium settings in the inspection schedule. There are no specific selection criteria for Irish-medium settings, which are part of the overall cohort of service providers considered for inspection.