Results 701-720 of 20,908 for speaker:Norma Foley

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 between...

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

Norma Foley: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the...

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

Norma Foley: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides universal, free preschool to children in the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. The upper age limit of 5 years and 6 months for ECCE was set in consultation with the Department of Education and ensures that children transition into primary school with their peers. In certain exceptional...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2329 to 2331, inclusive, and 2333 to 2335, inclusive, together. Litigation is dealt with on behalf of the Department by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency who engage lawyers to act for my Department where necessary. The costs of any external solicitors or counsel in such litigation are...

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

Norma Foley: The Department of Children, Disability and Equality have not conducted any audits or reviews of legal fee spending in the past five years.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (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: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is required under the Child and Family Agency Act (2013) to support and promote the welfare and protection of children; to support and encourage the effective functioning of families; and to provide services relating to the psychological welfare of children and their families (excluding the provision of specialist mental health services for children). ...

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

Norma Foley: I am aware that eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory) is an area of genuine concern for foster carers. The Programme for Government 2025 contains a commitment to develop a pension solution for foster carers in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, and to acknowledge their long-term commitment and to ensure that they are...

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

Norma Foley: I welcome the recent announcement of the extension of eligibility for the Back to School Allowance to encompass foster carers. This measure is an important step in the Government’s commitment to providing further support to children in foster care. Payment of the Allowance falls wholly under the remit of the Department of Social Protection, and is aimed at helping families with the...

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

Norma Foley: My Department has overseen a significant increase in investment in foster care supports, including in relation to the foster care allowance, which was increased to €400 per week for children aged under 12, and €425 per week for those over 12 in 2024. These increases mean that foster carers received over €1,700 additional funding per child over the course of 2024. In 2025,...

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

Norma Foley: The new maximum fee cap which I announced, to be introduced for all Partner Services from September 2025, will place a limit on the maximum fees that can be charged across all types of provision. This will reduce costs for families who are facing the highest fees across the country. The freeze on fees will remain in place for all other services whose fees fall below the new fee caps (90%)....

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

Norma Foley: I recognise and acknowledge the importance of Tusla therapeutic services for children in care, who are amongst the most vulnerable children in the State. The Estimates process for 2026 has recently commenced. Over the course of the coming weeks and months, I will work with Tusla and with Government colleagues to secure additional funding for Tusla. Details of any increased funding to...

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

Norma Foley: Young people who have had a care history with Tusla are entitled to an aftercare service based on their eligibility and assessed needs. This assessment considers a number of factors including the young person’s educational and accommodation needs. Upon reaching the age of 18, a young person is deemed to have left State care. All eligible care leavers are supported through aftercare...

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

Norma Foley: As the State does not employ staff in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare services, neither I nor my Department set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector. Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare services are private businesses and their policies on operating hours and staffing are a matter for the service provider. As such, the decision...

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

Norma Foley: As this question refers to the 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 (29 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to the 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: Foster carers play a vital and valued role in the care of the most vulnerable children in our society. Foster care is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their family of origin, and foster carers provide a safe, secure and stable home environment for these vulnerable children and young people. The Programme for Government 2025 (PfG) sets out the Government’s...

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

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2353 and 2354 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.