Results 401-420 of 19,414 for speaker:Norma Foley

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...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. We want to the scheme to work. That is why so much effort is going into the whole advertising element of it and much more. Regarding those who are excluded from the scheme, I absolutely understand the points that are raised by so many. However, those identified by the commission of investigation as having a main function of providing shelter and supervision from an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. Investment in the early learning and childcare sector is now at an unprecedented level with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025. We have never had as much money being expended. This clearly demonstrates the Government’s commitment to this area. As well as addressing affordability, this investment has served to improve accessibility,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Again, I thank the Deputy. He is 100% correct. There is an issue around capacity and the Government recognises that. It is for that reason that the Government has committed to doing a root-and-branch discovery around the country to determine where there are areas of maximum need and where is under-provided for. The new forward planning and delivery unit will be very important in that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. To confirm in terms of the core funding model, an unprecedented level of funding has gone into that for the first time. In year 1, €259 million was expended directly on core funding and €210.8 million was brand-new funding. That increased to €287 million in year 2 and presently in year 3, it has increased to €331 million. Again, a very...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. Just for information, the mother and baby institutions payment scheme opened for applications in March 2024. The underpinning legislation for the scheme provides for a number of reports and reviews to be produced. Section 12 provides for annual reports to be prepared by 30 June by the chief deciding officer of the scheme. These reports are to include details on...

Disability: Statements (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle as ucht an t-am agus an deis a thabhairt dom. A change of Government often brings with it a renewed sense of optimism, an opportunity to reassess our priorities and refocus our minds on the commitments and promises that have been made both here in this Chamber as well as on the doorsteps of homes across the country. Nowhere is this more urgent...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: So far this year, 4,180 children in Louth are benefiting from a subsidy under the National Childcare Scheme. This represents an increase of 14% or 517 children in Louth benefitting 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 benefitting from the Scheme up more than...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Accommodation Recognition Payment scheme is currently in place until 31 March 2025. The scheme was introduced to recognise the generosity of private individuals who provide accommodation on a humanitarian basis to beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine. As the Temporary Protection Directive has been extended to 4 March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 160 together. The Government proposals for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme were developed following extensive deliberations on the very complex issues in question. They were significantly broader than those proposed by an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) and by recommendations from the Commission of Investigation. The Scheme is designed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Official Engagements (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children and families. Tusla perform invaluable work often under extremely challenging circumstances. On becoming Minister, I requested to meet with the CEO of Tusla and it was agreed that we would meet on 19 February 2025. The CEO and I discussed a wide variety of issues...