Results 381-400 of 20,908 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January 2025 and a total of 78 applications were received from across the country. 50 of these applicants were successful in progression to the next stage of the process and a currently finalising the legal formalities associated with the scheme. Applicants were scored...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Qualifications (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Funding (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: A key priority of my Department is to support improved accessibility to childcare places, including capacity for babies and toddlers. Core Funding has served as a key vehicle in addressing this insufficiency of supply and making the provision of these places more attractive. Since its introduction in 2022, Core Funding has provided increased levels of funding to services delivering care...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Policies (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: A key priority of this Department is to support improved accessibility to childcare places, including capacity for babies and toddlers. Core Funding has served as a key vehicle in addressing this insufficiency of supply and making the provision of these places more attractive. Since its introduction in 2022, Core Funding has provided increased levels of funding to services delivering care...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. A Forward Planning and Delivery Unit has been allocated additional staff and is pursuing an ambitious programme of work to identify areas of need, forecast demand, and deliver public supply within the childcare sector where required. A forward planning model is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Work is well advanced on the Programme for Government commitment to develop an Action Plan for Administrative and Regulatory Simplification for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector, supported by a Working Group comprising representatives from the Department, Pobal and the City / County Childcare Committee and an Advisory Group comprising providers, educators/practitioners and parent...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. The structure of this Department's funding schemes offer a high degree of flexibility to early learning and childcare providers in structuring their service offering. In particular Core Funding, which provides funding directly to services to support operating...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 546 and 547 together. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Funding (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: This Government recognises that waiting times for Assessment of Need (AON) are too long and have a significant impact on delivering on the needs of children and their families. Both this Department and the HSE are committed to reducing the timeframes for assessment and have been working intensively to progress measures to achieve this. It is important to emphasise that, while children...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2023/24 shows that the estimated number of enrolments for all age groups increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year. The estimated number of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Schemes (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: As referenced by the Deputy, my Department will begin an evaluation of the National Childcare Scheme this year. The evaluation will examine how the Scheme is operating currently and identify potential changes or improvements to be made to the Scheme. The tendering process to appoint an external consultant for this review is underway, further details regarding evaluation timelines will be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 556 together. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Government is committed to the full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as ratified by Ireland in 2018. In fulfilment of commitments under Article 4(3) of the UNCRPD, the consultation and stakeholder engagement processes which informed and influenced the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 were both extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: This Government is committed to ensuring that children and their families who need early intervention and therapy input can access that support in a timely way. Children with disabilities are supported in the community by both Children’s Disability Network Teams and Primary Care. The National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Juvenile Offenders (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Oberstown Children Detention Campus is the State’s sole detention centre for children. The maximum occupancy in Oberstown is set by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality by way of a certificate made under the Children Act 2001. This certificate is currently set at 46 (40 boys and 6 girls). Places can be used to accommodate both children on detention orders and children...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Projects (23 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.