The Department of Education (DE) has a key role in supporting quality within the Early Years Education sector and works closely with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).

Early-years education inspections
Early-years education inspections are carried out in Early Years services. During these inspections, the quality of the nature, range and appropriateness of the early educational experiences for children is evaluated. The main activity of an Early Years Education inspection is the observation, by the inspector, of the processes and practices relating to children’s learning in one or more learning rooms or areas in the Early Years setting.

This guide gov.ie - Guide to Early Years Education Inspections outlines how the DE Inspectorate conducts early years education inspections, effective from 2022. The most significant change to the previous Guide to EYEI (2018) is the extension of the DE Inspectorate remit to evaluate the quality of educational experiences in ELC settings funded by DCEDIY for children aged from birth to six years.
The Quality Framework that informs this EYEI model builds on previous EYEI quality frameworks (2016, 2018) and is underpinned by four core messages:

• The child at the centre of practice
• The child as an active learner
• Building strong connections to support children’s learning
• Laying the foundations for children’s learning

• Early Education Inspection Reports
• Early-Years Education-focused Inspection (EYEI)

Quality in Early Years Education webinars from Department of Education

This series of webinars was developed by the Department of Education Early Years inspectorate and is designed to show findings, ideas and examples of effective practice drawn from the diverse range of ELC settings inspected since 2010.
 
gov.ie - Insights – Quality in Early Years Education webinars click on the links below to access.      

1. Introduction
2. Insights – Transitions
3. Insights – Developing Children's Physical Skills
4. Insights – Assessment
5. Insights – Early Years Education Inspection
6. Insights – Focus on Self-evaluation
7. Insights – Developing Children's Literacy Skills
8. Insights – Effective Outdoor Learning Environment
9. Insights – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
10. Insights – Responding to Early Years Education Inspection Report
11. Insights – Transitions to primary school 2021: a focus on learning from COVID-19 experiences
12. Insights – Promoting Children's Resilience
13. Insights – Working with mixed-age groups of children
14. Insights – Partnership with Parents
15. Insights – Follow-through Early Years Education Inspection
16. Insights – Learning through child-initiated/child-led play
17. Insights – Numeracy and Mathematical Development in Early Years