Results 781-800 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: In 2025, my department has paid €413,338 to childminders as part of the Childminding Development Grant. The breakdown of payments per county can be found in the table below. Carlow €11,000 Cavan €16,700 Clare €19,000 Cork City €11,000 Cork County ...

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

Norma Foley: Since the introduction of Core Funding in 2022, my Department has paid €847,590,438.70 to Core Funding Partner Services. The breakdown of payments per county can be found in the table below and includes the values paid right up to the end of programme year 3 which will be 31 August 2025. County Division Interim Funding Core Funding 2022/2023 Core...

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

Norma Foley: My Department has not procured any services from the company identified by the Deputy. Bodies under the aegis of my Department will respond directly to the Deputy.

Pride: Statements (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: It is my honour to address the House today on Pride. It is a particular honour to be here this year as we mark what is a significant year in terms of LGBTIQ+ equality. As many in the House will be aware, the Dublin Pride Festival took place on 28 June. The streets of the capital were awash with vibrant colours, enjoyment and, most importantly, pride. As the summer moves on, there will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Budgets (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Capital Allocation 2024 Following a Supplementary Estimates a final Capital allocation of €142.82 million was provided in respect of my Department for 2024. Please see table below for a detailed breakdown. Capital Allocation 2025 Following a transfer of functions and a Further Revised Estimates for Public Service 2025, a Capital Allocation of €99.50 million was provided in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January. There were four strands to the scheme: Community Construction, Community Extension, Community Purchasing and Private Extension. A total of 78 applications were received with 50 successful applicants progressing to the next stage of the grant process. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. Decisions about whether to open new early learning and childcare facilities or expand existing services in Ballymun and Finglas, as elsewhere, are the prerogative of independent operators. My Department therefore does not have details of future planned facilities by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Children in Care (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The referenced organisation is primarily funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Agency has advised that it has not yet finalised its budget for 2026, and therefore no decisions have yet been made regarding the annual funding for the referenced organisation in 2026. Tusla is currently engaging with the Department detailing the funding requirements for the Agency overall in 2026....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Mother and Baby Homes (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: In October 2022 the Government made an Order under the Institutional Burials Act 2022 to direct an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The Government Order specifies that the functions of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam include carrying out an Identification Programme to seek to establish familial links. In March 2023 the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 Year 1 and Year 3 of the scheme, annual place hours increased by over 15%. The Tusla register of services demonstrates a net...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 and 211 together. Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. Last year, a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division was established. In line with the Programme for Government commitment to resource and transform this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. Each year, Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. The most recent published capacity data for the 2023/24 programme year estimated that there were 7,585 children...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 225 together. Currently, over 92% of eligible services have signed up to Core Funding year three. This equates to over 4,400 services and means that more services have opted into the scheme this year, than in programme years one or two. For information, the Department has a list of all Core Funding Partner Services which is updated regularly on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (16 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: An evaluation of the first year of Core Funding and the development of an evaluation framework for Core Funding is currently underway. This project will examine the early implementation of Core Funding and make recommendations for future evaluations of the grant. Findings from the project are expected in Quarter 4 2025. This project is being undertaken by Irish Government Economic and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department operates from Floors 2 and 3 in the following building:Block 1 Miesian Plaza, 50-58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2 (D02 XW14) I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not own the CCTV cameras in operation in this building. The cameras are managed by the Department of Health, as lead tenants in Miesian Plaza. I have asked the aegis bodies to reply to the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Policies (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Newborn Saving's Account (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: This is not a matter for the Minister of Children, Disability and Equality.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Legislative Reviews (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 802, 810, 811 and 812 together. A Review of the Equality Acts was announced in 2021. The Department invited written submissions to a public consultation and a report summarising the key issues raised was published in July 2023. Submissions were received on a wide variety of subjects including all the equality grounds: gender, civil status, family status,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Strategies (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department leads on cross-government policy to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Programme for Government 'Securing Ireland's Future' commits my Department to publish and implement an updated National Strategy for Women and Girls. My Department is currently working to fulfil that commitment. A stakeholder consultation was completed at the end...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Parental Leave (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 804 and 805 together. Under the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an...