Results 161-180 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Inquiries (30 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Government is committed to ensuring that information and communication issued across all government departments and public bodies is in formats that are accessible to disabled people, including in easy-to-read and plain English formats. The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 launched on 3rd September sets out a whole-of-Government approach to disability and to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Child Detention Centres (30 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: In the time available it was not possible to gather all the information requested by the Deputy, we have been in touch with the Oberstown Campus who will provide the information as soon as possible, we will write to the Deputy with the answers in full.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Legislative Measures (30 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The General Scheme arising from the Review of the Equality Acts was approved by Government in November 2024. I referred it to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality for pre-legislative scrutiny following the Committee’s establishment earlier this year. The Committee’s report is expected in the coming weeks. I look forward to receiving this report and considering...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Paternity Leave (25 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Significant improvements have been made in the entitlements to both paid and unpaid leaves in recent years, including by extending paid parent's leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their baby during their earliest years. The Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 provides the relevant parent (other than the mother of the child) with 2 weeks paid paternity leave. S.6(5)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (25 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I recognise the many benefits that assistance dogs can have for the health and wellbeing of disabled children and young people, including autistic children and young people and their families. At the moment, the Department does not have any open funding streams available. Among the funding schemes operated by the Department is the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund. The purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151, 152 and 159 together. The Programme for Government – 'Securing Ireland’s Future’ - includes a commitment for advancing Neuro-Rehabilitation services nationally including the completion of the national rollout of Health Service Executive (HSE) Community Neuro-rehabilitation Teams. The HSE is leading on the implementation framework...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Legislative Measures (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: In line with commitments under the Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government has made a number of commitments with a view to strengthening the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, and protecting children, including updating the Child Care Act, 1991. The Child Care Act 1991 marked a turning point in the protection of children in Ireland, providing a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Legislative Measures (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The statutory right to an Assessment of Need (AON) and the timeframes within which an assessment should be produced are set out in the Disability Act, 2005. However, it is important to emphasise that, while children have a right to apply for an AON, they do not need one in order to access health services, including those provided by Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Children in Care (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Foster carers play a vital and valued role in the care of the most vulnerable children in our society. Foster care is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their family of origin, and foster carers provide a safe, secure and stable home environment for these vulnerable children and young people. The Programme for Government 2025 (PfG) sets out the Government’s...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Many families avail of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) as a way to reduce the cost of their early learning and childcare. NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. It should be noted that early learning and childcare providers are private entities and set their own fees; those signed up as Partner Services...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Child and Family Agency (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Both Tusla and the Department are committed to promoting safe and high quality practice in all areas of child protection and welfare. The Child Care Act, 1991 is the statutory framework for child welfare and protection in Ireland. Tusla is very much a demand led service and operates in a challenging environment. Tusla expects to handle some 105,000 referrals this year, up from 96,666 last...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) design includes a number of features to enhance flexibility and access to early learning and childcare. In particular NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for i.e. 45 weekly hours. The parent and provider agree the hours of childcare registered by considering what the family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Pay is one of a number of issues impacting the early learning and care and school-age childcare workforce. The level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners does not reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. As the State is not the employer of staff in the sector, neither I nor the Department can set wage levels or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Language (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I know this is a matter close to her heart. As she has articulated so well in the context of her constituency, it is of particular importance given the Gaeltacht provision. The national plan is particularly important in advancing the supports and the vision we have for naíonraí. I agree with the Deputy that the earlier we can support the language and ensure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I am aware of the facility to which the Deputy refers. As he indicated in the question, Once Upon a Time has regrettably chosen to withdraw four of its ten services from core funding. They are Once Upon a Time services in Ballymount, Dublin 2, Dundrum and Shankill, with six other sites remaining in the core funding. The Department, through the local childcare committee, has engaged...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Core funding remains open and Once Upon a Time may reapply for the withdrawn services during the year and can join the overwhelming majority of providers. Already 90% of all providers are involved in core funding, which is a 5% increase on the number of providers involved in core funding this time last year. The opportunity remains open to Once Upon a Time to reapply for the services it has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I reiterate that the Government is absolutely committed to the €200 per month payment as outlined in the programme for Government over its lifetime. I took note of the Deputy's commentary that this provider and other providers are suggesting that core funding "traps services". That is not an accurate phrase to use insofar as I can point to the fact that core funding provided...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Language (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The funding provided by the Department for early learning and care, ELC, and school-aged childcare services is provided on the same basis to both Irish medium and English medium services, whether inside or outside Gaeltacht areas. In line with commitments in the five-year action plan for the Irish language, the Department recruited an Irish language support co-ordinator in 2020 to drive the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: After-School Support Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: It is an absolute objective of this Government to ensure that we make provision for children of all ages. More specifically, the Deputy is interested in school-age childcare. We have had some very significant innovations I can point to. For example, in my time as the Minister for Education, I published procedures on the use of school buildings and sports facilities outside of school hours....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: After-School Support Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I want to be clear that I 100% agree with the Deputy. It is only right and proper that everybody who wishes to participate in the workforce get that opportunity. It is certainly not acceptable or right that anyone's opportunities would be hindered because of a lack of childcare or that it would be one particular cohort of people. The Deputy specifically instanced women who would be...