Results 801-820 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: I am committed to ongoing, open engagement with survivors and their representatives. In this regard I have received an invitation to visit the burial site associated with the former Mother and Baby institution in Sean Ross Abbey and it is being given active consideration. The investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including the former institution at Sean...

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

Norma Foley: The National Centre for Research and Remembrance, to be located in Sean MacDermott Street, Dublin 1, will comprise a museum and exhibition space, a research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in the 20th century, and a garden space for reflection and remembrance. This Centre will honour equally all those who spent time in Industrial Schools, Magdalen Laundries,...

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

Norma Foley: The First Annual Report of the Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse was published on 24th June. The Report provides a comprehensive overview of the feedback which the Special Advocate, Ms. Patricia Carey, and her team have received and outlines in detail the issues raised by survivors and the Special Advocate’s recommendations to address them. The issues raised in...

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

Norma Foley: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities 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 benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Learning Centre (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: In 2024, Core Funding services were allowed to apply for a fee increase. In this Fee Increase Assessment process, Core Funding Partner Services who were charging fees below the county average were eligible to apply to be assessed for a fee increase. This Fee Increase Assessment process balanced the need of parents for stability with their early learning and childcare costs and the need...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Oberstown Detention Campus to provide an answer directly to you on this matter.

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

Norma Foley: Many families avail of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) as a way to reduce the cost of their early learning and childcare. NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. It is between the parent and provider to agree on the hours of childcare based on the family's requirements and what sessions the provider can...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Mental Health Services (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: Departmental Reviews (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes made significant findings in relation to the failings of the State and religious organisations, who together ran Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Government believes that all relevant parties have a collective responsibility to respond to Ireland's legacy in relation to Mother and Baby institutions. In early 2021, the...

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

Norma Foley: Ensuring access to early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. Capital funding has been made available to my Department under the National Development Plan. In 2025, €25m has been made available to deliver additional capacity under the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. The scheme is focused on supporting the creation of additional full day care places...

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

Norma Foley: Pobal administer all childcare programmes on behalf of my Department. Pobal will be in contact shortly with the person named in regard to their application. Pobal and Better Start engage directly with service providers in regard to AIM applications, providing advice and assistance as needed.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department is aware through Pobal who administer the scheme on behalf of my Department, that some providers have been experiencing a delay in processing AIM applications. The timeline for processing applications is currently under review between officials in my Department and Pobal. As scheme administrators, Pobal and Better Start engage directly with service providers in regard to...

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

Norma Foley: There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves for working families in recent years. First 5, the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, committed to build incrementally over the course of the Strategy so that by 2028 parents in Ireland would have access to a range of family leaves for the first year of their...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (15 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: Children in Care (10 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Foster carers play a vital role providing stable and caring homes for our most vulnerable children. Foster care is recognised as the preferred care setting for a child in the care of the State. As of Q4 2024, 87.2% of children in care were being cared for by foster carers, a figure which compares favourably internationally. However, it is recognised that the State faces an ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (10 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Officials from my Department have responded directly on the matter raised. For your information, since its introduction in 2022, 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 Orders...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (10 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (10 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I recently announced the details of the new maximum fee caps for early learning and childcare services participating in Core Funding alongside record State funding of €390 million this year for the Scheme. An initial maximum fee cap was put in place for new entrants to the scheme last year. New maximum fee caps will now be introduced for all new and existing services receiving this...