Results 381-400 of 19,404 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Ar an gcéad dul síos chun an fhírinne a rá, cé acu as Béarla nó as Gaeilge, ní féidir a shéanadh go bhfuil an-dul chun cinn déanta ag an Stát chun gach tacaíocht a thabhairt don earnáil seo. Tá na figiúirí agam arís. Lean ar aghaidh liom anois. The flat rate for services registered on the Tusla early...

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

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. The national childcare scheme provides financial supports to parents to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. Only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of...

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

Norma Foley: I want to be absolutely clear so there is no misunderstanding here. The national action plan that currently exists for childminding distinguishes between childminding which involves care in the childminder's home and care that takes place in the child's home which may be carried out by a nanny, an au pair, a babysitter or whatever term one might wish to use. The employment relationship and...

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

Norma Foley: As I have outlined and as the Deputy has said, this is a new scheme. The new scheme will be allowed to run but it is subject to review. That review will take place by 2027 in advance of 2028. Therefore, it will run and then there will be a review. We will then see what scope there is to change it, to add to it or whatever the case might be. However, in the existing national action plan...

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

Norma Foley: Question No. 122 was specifically around childcare facilities' ability to attract and retain staff.

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...