Results 561-580 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disabilities Assessments (29 Jul 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: Children in Care (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Since the Scheme was introduced, its effectiveness has been subject to ongoing review and the scheme itself has evolved year on year. Core Funding has seen consistent increased State investment to the sector year on year, and is set in year 4 to be worth over €390 million contingent on the establishment of new minimum rates of pay in the sector through updated Employment Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Legal Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Officials in my Department are compiling this information, and I will forward to the Deputy as soon as a response is available.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Legal Cases (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Officials in my Department are compiling this information, and I will forward to the Deputy as soon as a response is available.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 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 increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year. Core Funding application data shows that...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Pay is one of a number of issues impacting the early learning and care and school-age childcare workforce. However, while Government is the primary funder of the sector, the State is not an employer of staff and neither I, nor my Department, set pay or working conditions. The Joint Labour Committee process is the mechanism by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary sector organisations. While the Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall allocation for the disability sector, funding allocations to individual service providers is an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Flexible Work Practices (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2268 and 2269 together. There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves and flexibility for working families in recent years. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 introduced important entitlements for workers, including the right to request flexible working for parents and carers. As part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Youth Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides both universal and targeted subsidies to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and childcare. The Scheme is progressive in nature ensuring the highest levels of subsidies go to families that need them most. The total budget allocation for the NCS has reached €529.8 million in 2025. The NCS has...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Grant Payments (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: This information is not immediately available. My Department is preparing a response and will contact the Deputy as soon as possible with the requested information.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: While my Department cannot mandate providers to participate in schemes, every effort has been made to carefully design Core Funding to meet the policy objectives including to achieve high levels of participation by providers. Participation in Core Funding is optional, but it remains open to all registered providers subject to their agreement to the terms and conditions of the funding. It...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Thank you Deputy for your question in relation to legal cases against Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Please be advised, Tusla is actively compiling the information requested. My Department and I continue to assist Tusla in its work and will forward the information to the Deputy as soon as it has been collected.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Children in Care (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Child Protection (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Child Abuse (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Children in Care (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Capital funding that has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the National Development Plan (NDP) has enabled significant investment in early learning and childcare. In 2025, €25m in voted expenditure was made available for the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. This will allow existing Core Funding Partner Services extend their existing premises or,...