Results 661-680 of 20,908 for speaker:Norma Foley

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,...

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

Norma Foley: My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy in due course

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (29 Jul 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 Government commitment to this area. 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...

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

Norma Foley: I acknowledge many early learning and childcare services report recruitment and retention challenges. In general, these challenges are not caused by insufficient supply of staff, but by high levels of turnover, which is linked to pay and working conditions. Data from the 2024 Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey shows the national turnover rate for the sector was approximately 25.8%,...

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: The Programme for Government commits to “progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child.” This commitment will be achieved over the lifetime of the Government. Initial steps have already been taken. Work is also under way to develop an Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare system, informed by...

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

Norma Foley: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and allow children to access Early Learning and School Age Childcare. The NCS subsidies are progressive in nature. All families can receive a universal subsidy, but the highest subsides are provided to families with the lowest levels of income through an income assessment process....

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

Norma Foley: First 5 is Ireland’s Whole-of-Government Strategy for babies, young children and their families. It focuses on the period of early childhood, from the antenatal period to age five, and takes a joined-up, cross-government approach to supporting babies, young children and their families during these critical early years. It has a pivotal focus on providing a broader range of options for...

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

Norma Foley: The General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 was approved by Government in November of last year. The General Scheme was included for Priority Drafting in the Spring Legislative Programme. It was renamed here as the Equality and Family Leaves (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to account for potential proposed additions related to surrogacy leave and leave for...

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

Norma Foley: I would like to acknowledge the Deputy’s support for the application by Ballybunion Community Centre to be granted Family Resource Centre (FRC) status. As the Deputy may know, the previous Minister, Roderic O'Gorman T.D. secured funding for an additional 5 Family Resource Centres as part of Budget 2025, to allow for membership of the Programme to increase from 121 members to 126...

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

Norma Foley: This Government absolutely recognises that waiting times for Assessment of Need (AON) are far too long and have a significant impact on delivering on the needs of children and their families. Both the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE have been working intensively to progress measures to reduce waiting times. It is important to emphasise that, while children have...