Results 541-560 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge that many early learning and care and school-age childcare services report staffing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention. In general, these staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover. The most recent published data from the annual early years sector...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear about State intervention here. At the outset, I want to acknowledge the excellent work of those who provide the voluntary services the Deputy referenced in his constituency and throughout the country. I wan to be very clear about State intervention here. Over the last three years, just short of €900 million has been provided through core funding by the State....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Specifically, so far this year, 3,569 children in Kilkenny are benefiting from a subsidy under the national childcare scheme. This represents an increase of almost 13% or 403 children in Kilkenny benefiting from this scheme when compared to the same period last year. This growth in national childcare scheme beneficiaries is mirrored nationwide, with the numbers of children benefiting from...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy very much. He referenced two key things in his presentation: accessibility and availability of places, and the cost for parents. We are very conscious of accessibility and availability. There are increases in terms of availability but by no means is there a sufficiency. That has been outlined by many Deputies in the House. The programme for Government also commits to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for his contribution and the contribution of his children to our education system and our sports clubs, etc. I recognise - obviously, I say this sincerely - that the support that is necessary for families is hugely prioritised by the Government. I have already outlined what is being done in terms of availability or the very sustainability of childcare-providing services....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Yes.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Chaos.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I apologise.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I hear the Deputy's concerns. Government has not been found wanting in terms of investment. Over three years, just short of €900 million has been spent. The level of funding is quite extraordinary, always with the proviso that it delivers for parents, the workers and the providers. Regarding capacity, Government is very cognisant of this issue. The Deputy will note that, in the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Investment in early learning and childcare is now at unprecedented levels with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025, clearly demonstrating the Government’s commitment to this area. As well as addressing affordability, this investment has served to improve accessibility, availability and the quality of provision. The new programme for Government provides the impetus...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: As I said earlier, 178,000 children have claimed under the national childcare scheme this year. This is a 14% increase on last year. Year on year, we are seeing an increase in children availing of the national childcare scheme. We are also seeing an increase in availability. For the first time, childminders are now eligible to apply for the scheme. That is a further expansion of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: In my role as Minister, I will be engaging with all representative bodies regarding childcare provision. That is ongoing this week and will be for the next number of weeks. Their point of view and experiences will be very important to the general discussion we have on moving towards the €200 target that has been set. Equally important to that will be the voice of parents. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Core funding is a grant to early learning and childcare providers towards their operating costs. The primary objectives of the core funding scheme are to improve pay and conditions in the sector and affordability for parents while also ensuring a stable income for providers. Providers have flexibility in how they spend their core funding grant, provided it aligns with the approved areas of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: In the past three years, core funding of almost €900 million has been provided by the Government. That is an unprecedented level of funding into this area. I hear the Deputy's concerns about issues such as rates of pay. Research tells us that at least 70% of core funding is going on pay. The State is not the employer and therefore does not set the pay or conditions for employees...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate the points she is making but given that we have not yet reached the one-year anniversary and I have not received either the annual report or the first of the two reviews, it would be premature to go into the system of review. The Deputy referenced sincerely the need in respect of promotion, advertising and allowing people to be aware that the scheme is in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. We want to the scheme to work. That is why so much effort is going into the whole advertising element of it and much more. Regarding those who are excluded from the scheme, I absolutely understand the points that are raised by so many. However, those identified by the commission of investigation as having a main function of providing shelter and supervision from an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. Investment in the early learning and childcare sector is now at an unprecedented level with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025. We have never had as much money being expended. This clearly demonstrates the Government’s commitment to this area. As well as addressing affordability, this investment has served to improve accessibility,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Again, I thank the Deputy. He is 100% correct. There is an issue around capacity and the Government recognises that. It is for that reason that the Government has committed to doing a root-and-branch discovery around the country to determine where there are areas of maximum need and where is under-provided for. The new forward planning and delivery unit will be very important in that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. To confirm in terms of the core funding model, an unprecedented level of funding has gone into that for the first time. In year 1, €259 million was expended directly on core funding and €210.8 million was brand-new funding. That increased to €287 million in year 2 and presently in year 3, it has increased to €331 million. Again, a very...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. Just for information, the mother and baby institutions payment scheme opened for applications in March 2024. The underpinning legislation for the scheme provides for a number of reports and reviews to be produced. Section 12 provides for annual reports to be prepared by 30 June by the chief deciding officer of the scheme. These reports are to include details on...