Results 21-40 of 19,404 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As I said previously, we all know that the earlier a child can get additional support, the better the outcome. We know that from our present education settings. When we talk about early learning and support, the earlier we can provide supports, the better. That is the specific reason we are looking at going beyond the ECCE model and including children who have not yet reached that point....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, Tusla responds to all reports of sexual abuse promptly to ensure children are safeguarded. A child abuse notification is reported to An Garda Síochána in line with the joint working protocol between An Garda Síochána and Tusla. An Garda Síochána will deal with any criminal aspects of cases alleging abuse under the relevant criminal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I confirm there is a significant increase through core funding. It is going to €350 million for the 2025-26 year, which is a hugely significantly amount of resource provided by the State. As I said previously, 92% of providers are participating in the core funding model. In its entirety, if we look at the last three years and going into this following year, almost €1 billion...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: It is important that there is now a forward planning unit in the Department to ensure we are looking towards the future to see where there are significant gaps in the need for the service and the lack of the service being provided. The Government has given the commitment in the programme for Government that where this gap might be in play, and where no providers are taking the opportunity to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Investment in early learning and childcare is now at an unprecedented level, with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025 clearly demonstrating the Government’s commitment in 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...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is 100% correct. Accessibility is hugely important. If we do not have sufficient places available to parents then it is a huge burden. We are currently looking at seeking the information on where there is a need for the service and where the service is not available locally. The Government is currently looking at ways the State can step in at that point to provide those...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I agree with the Deputy; I believe there is unanimity here regarding the €45 million and how it should be spent in full. If the joint labour committee is unable to agree on a new employment regulation order for the start of the 2025-26 year, the ring-fenced €45 million will not be made available at the start of the year either. That is the purpose of it. I am hopeful and it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. This issue is of particular interest to him and he has raised it many times. As I have said previously, the introduction of core funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. Since the scheme...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As I have said previously, there has been almost €1 billion of investment by the State into this whole sector. It is unprecedented; it has never been done before. It has had a significant impact, both in terms of supporting providers, but also reducing costs for parents. We are now seeing more services opening than closing, which is a significant feature and consequence of core...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I cannot and will not underestimate how important it is that we get this right. However, I am also conscious that it is an evolving and live situation. Things change and move with time. From every step of the way of the introduction of core funding, there have been learnings, notwithstanding the fact that there is a significant evaluation of the first year of core funding, and how this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. The annual early years sector profile survey does not collect staff retention data specifically. However, it does record data on staff turnover. Data from this survey shows that, over the period from 2019 to 2023, staff turnover rates ranged from 23% in 2019 to 24.5% in 2023. The 2023 data shows that almost one third of the turnover rate is due to staff moving from one...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge this is a personal interest of Deputy Kerrane because she has raised it on many occasions. It is my absolute determination that €45 million is being made available and it is my absolute wish that that €45 million is used fully, totally and wholly for the purpose for which it is given. I would always say, irrespective of whether I am inside the House or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I want to be clear that I absolutely respect the independence of the joint labour committee. It is important it would do its work and that it would have that independence, but I am acknowledging there is that €45 million available and it is my view it should go for the purpose of salaries. The Deputy referenced the previous EROs and what occurred there. I acknowledge that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy and I appreciate the question. The Deputy has engaged with me on an ongoing basis on this. As I have stated previously, the State is not the employer of staff in the sector and neither I nor the Department can set their pay or determine working conditions. The joint labour committee is the formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. It is to everyone's benefit, most especially the children, that we have suitably remunerated and qualified staff. That is the purpose of specifically ring-fencing the funding this year. As I have already said, it is my absolute desire that it would be used in full for that purpose. I also acknowledge that there is significant work under way to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is correct. The Government has made a significant commitment to improve accessibility, availability, affordability and the quality of early learning and childcare provision. Investment in early learning and childcare is now at an unprecedented level with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025, clearly demonstrating the Government’s commitment to this area. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I agree with much of what the Deputy said. It is much of Government policy insofar as the key elements of that policy are, in the first instance, to manage and reduce costs for parents, which is a key anchor, and, second, to ensure sustainability of the service is being provided and that providers are sustainable in moving forward. A further element is to increase provision of places and to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I will be clear. I am very happy to engage with the Deputy on this. I engage on an ongoing basis with stakeholders on whatever body of work needs to be done. He is right. We are unanimous in our acknowledgement across every sector within this Chamber that a job of work needs to be done and must continue to be done in this sector. However, while significant progress has been made, more...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As the State is not the employer of staff in this sector, neither I nor the Department can set pay or determine working conditions. The joint labour committee is the formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates, which are set down in employment regulation orders. I absolutely acknowledge the joint labour committee is independent...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the manner in which the Deputy and his party leader have followed this through. What I can say is that the portal was recently upgraded and it now includes fee lists for the previous programme year of 2023 to 2024. There is an issue at present - there is no point in saying there is not - in terms of the capacity of the Hive website to go further back. To ameliorate that or...