Results 881-900 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Qualifications (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: As the State does not employ staff nor does it have an official register of staff working in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector, the Department does not hold official information regarding either the number of early years students who attend work placements in settings or new graduates with a recognised qualification who begin working in settings. However, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that as part of Tusla’s Infant and Early Child Mental Health work the inclusion of Early Years Practitioners in the Solihull Training programme is currently being considered. In addition a Play Therapy pilot, funded by What Works using Dormant Accounts Funding, is running in certain ELC settings, to test the viability of play therapy in such settings. At this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Contracts (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The information sought is set out in the table below. Bodies under the aegis of my Department will respond directly to the Deputy. Supplier Description of Contract Estimated Value of Contract €(Exc VAT) Start Date End Date (not including optional extensions) Total Duration of Contract 7 Framework Members:...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Deputy has requested the cost of increasing the NCS subsidy so that 100% of fees are covered by the NCS. It is not possible to provide an accurate estimation at this time. To model a change such as this accurately would require individualised fee data on out of pocket costs for parents. Each year Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: School Meals Programme (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The full-year cost of providing a nutritious meal to all children attending the ECCE Programme is approximately €31m. This calculation is based on the following assumptions:€1.50 rate of daily capitation108,000 children in ECCE5 day programme week38 week programme yearResourcing a healthy eating educational programme for Early Learning and Care settingsThis cost estimate...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I firmly believe that the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. Investment in early learning and childcare is now at an unprecedented level, with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025. As well as addressing affordability, this investment has served...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Funding (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I would like to thank the Deputy for the additional query in relation to Parliamentary Question No.712 of 24 June 2025. As noted in the aforementioned Parliamentary Question, my Department is committed to ongoing engagement on this matter and will consider wider changes to Core Funding deposit rules for the 2026/2027 programme year. These considerations will include a review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. Demand for early learning and childcare beyond sessional pre-school provision is highly elastic and shaped very substantially by families' individual composition, circumstances, and preferences; employment patterns and income; and the price and availability of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Children in Care (1 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: Childcare Services (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 provides estimated data for enrolments by county boundaries. Data from 2023/24 estimated that there were 17,663 children enrolled in ELC and SAC services in Cork...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 659 and 660 together. 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 (1 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: Detention Centres (1 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 662, 663 and 664 together. Capacity in Oberstown 36120 Oberstown Children Detention Campus is the State’s sole detention centre for children. The maximum occupancy in Oberstown is set by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality by way of a certificate made under the Children Act 2001. This certificate is currently set at 46 (40 boys and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (26 Jun 2025)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Pay Dispute (26 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the deputy for his question. The challenges facing organisations that provide services on behalf of Tusla under section 56, including Barnardo’s, is of significant concern. It is important to me that all eligible staff, receive their agreed pay increases, in as timely a manner as possible. Since 2023, my Department has been actively engaged with the WRC process to find...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Site Excavation (26 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the pain caused by the deaths of children who were resident in the former Mother and Baby institution in Sean Ross Abbey. The investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including the former institution at Sean Ross Abbey, was an important part of the work of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. At the request of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Inquiries (26 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I am committed to ongoing, open engagement with survivors and their representatives and any invitations received are given appropriate consideration. Earlier this week I published four important reports as follows:The First Annual Report of the Special Advocate for SurvivorsThe Third Annual Report on the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (26 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government sets out the ambition to work with schools to host before and after-school childcare in school buildings as well as planning the development of State-led early learning and childcare facilities in tandem with the school building programme, specifically referencing Irish medium naíonraí. Officials have met a number of times with officials from the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Meetings (26 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 307 and 308 together. The 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The Guidelines are intended to ensure a consistent approach to the treatment of planning applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early learning and...

Seanad: Disability (Personalised Budgets) Bill 2024: Second Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I am very pleased to be here to discuss personalised budgets as raised by this Private Member’s Bill. I acknowledge the very heartfelt, sincere and passionate contributions from all Senators and I know there is more to follow. I reiterate my commitment and that of this Government as set out in the programme for Government 2025 to support the roll-out of personalised budgets...