Results 401-420 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (17 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1091, 1092, 1093, 1094 and 1095 together. The Deputy may wish to be aware that my Department does not directly fund any charitable voluntary groups. Under Section 39 of the 2004 Health Act funding is provided by the Health Service Executive. I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly in relation to this matter, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Health Services (17 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: Health Services (17 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: Disability Services (17 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Government is committed to delivering and enhancing services to better support children with disabilities in Ireland. The Children’s Disability Grant Fund aims to supplement the work of the CDNTs by providing supports and services to children and their families who are currently waitlisted for services. To do this, the fund makes available €8 million for 52 organisations, to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Health Services (17 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Health Services (17 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disabilities Assessments (17 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Policies (17 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 child during their earliest years. Since August 2024, the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 has increased the entitlement of paid leave to nine weeks for each relevant parent of a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Statutory Instruments (17 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Since taking office as the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in January 2025, I have signed four Statutory Instruments. These are listed below with links to each on the Irish Statute Book website. 1. Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2025: www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2025/si/96/made/en/print. 2. Mother and Baby...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (17 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Homeless Accommodation (17 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that my office is aware that this issue was discussed at an Oireachtas Committee meeting on Children and Equality on Thursday, 10 July 2025. I have contacted Tusla asking them to provide further details on this matter and will share details with the Deputy when my office has received them.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The current ECCE eligibility criteria were set based on a number of considerations. Firstly, the ECCE programme is a pre-school programme based on the National Practice Frameworks - Aistear and Síolta. 2 years and 8 months is considered the youngest age where a child has the capacity to engage with the ECCE programme. Additionally, the lower age range was set based on Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (17 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. The goal of AIM is to empower Early Learning and Care (ELC) providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Programmes (17 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1111 and 1112 together. I wish to inform the Deputy that my office has contacted Tusla asking them to provide further details on this matter. I will share details with the Deputy when my office has received them.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Health Service Executive (8 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Health Services Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: This Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 Voluntary Organisations, however it does not have any funding or governance relationship with individual organisations.   It is important to note that, while the strategy, policy direction and overall allocation for the sector is set at...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Children in Care (8 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: Foster carers play a vital role providing stable and caring homes for our most vulnerable children. Foster care is recognised as the preferred care setting for a child in the care of the State. My Department has overseen record investment in foster carers, including a 21% increase to the foster care allowance in Budget 2024, resulting in a weekly allowance for foster carers of €400...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (8 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 (8 Sep 2025)

Norma Foley: The Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant were put in place in 1979 and 1968 respectively, for operation by the Health Service Executive at a time when there was limited availability of accessible public transport. The Government decided to close these administrative schemes in 2013 to new applicants, on foot of the reports of the Ombudsman in 2011 and 2012 regarding the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (8 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.