Results 941-960 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (19 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department operates a Blended Working Policy based on the Blended Working Policy Framework for Civil Service Organisations. All employees, regardless of grade, can apply for a blended working arrangement. Staff must attend the office for a minimum of two days per week (pro rata for staff on a reduced working pattern), with specific days to be determined by the Head of Unit. The end of...

Seanad: Report of the Farrelly Commission: Statements (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an ama agus an deise seo a thabhairt dom. The Commission of Investigation (Certain Matters Relative to a Disability Service in the South East and Related Matters), the Farrelly commission, is an independent statutory commission of investigation established in 2017 to investigate the care and protection of Grace and others in a former...

Seanad: Report of the Farrelly Commission: Statements (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank all Senators who have contributed to this debate on the final substantive report of the Farrelly commission. There has been a wide range of speakers. I am appreciative of their input. It must be emphasised that the commission of investigation is an independent statutory commission empowered to investigate matters of significant public concern, possessing robust investigative...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The 2020 Programme for Government contained a commitment, in terms of gender recognition, to examine arrangements for those aged under 16. The Department of Social Protection and the then Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth jointly commissioned this research, to identify the mechanisms used in other countries, which govern legal gender recognition of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Poverty (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Child poverty requires a cross government response and I am committed to supporting the broader Government action to combat child poverty. The Child Poverty and Well-being Office in the Department of the Taoiseach was established in 2023 to coordinate government actions that reduce child poverty and foster children’s well-being, focussed on improvements that have the potential to make...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I would like to advise the Deputy that overcrowded accommodation does not fall under the remit of my Department. Primary responsibility for housing and managing homelessness and overcrowding lies with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Local Authorities. My Department is aware that the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published research in May...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Government has made significant commitments to improve accessibility, availability, affordability and the quality of early learning and childcare provision. Investment in early learning and childcare is now at unprecedented levels with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025, clearly demonstrating the Government’s commitment to this area. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Government has made significant commitments to improve accessibility, affordability and the quality of early learning and childcare provision. Investment in early learning and childcare is now at unprecedented levels with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025, clearly demonstrating the Government’s commitment to this area. The Early Childhood Care and Education...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of registration to childminders. A key objective of the National Action Plan for Childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the National Childcare Scheme. As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (18 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Reducing the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and childcare is a core focus of my Department. This includes reviewing deposit rules across each early learning and childcare scheme. Under Core Funding, in which over 92% of the sector participate, service providers agree that they will not charge any non-refundable deposits (including...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Specifically, that is a matter for the Department of Social Protection. I am speaking to our remit, which is childcare provision and care for disability.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: As I said at the outset, there are 20 social workers in County Clare. All of the three current vacancies are due to be filled this summer, depending on whether they relate to a career break, maternity leave or whatever else, so they will be at their full capacity of 23 social workers. I recognise the invaluable work of social workers. Across the country, there is a lack of social workers...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's ongoing engagement with me on this matter. She will be aware that earlier this month I announced the introduction of maximum fee caps for all partner services in core funding from September 2025. The fee freeze will remain in place for all partner services with fees below these caps. This is an important step towards the reduction of childcare fees to €200...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy very much. I acknowledge that she has consistently raised the very specific challenges in her area. She is correct that the cost of childcare is one thing; the remuneration of staff is another element of it; and there is also the availability of places or access to places. In that respect, there are a number of different initiatives. We already discussed that two weeks...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies for their questions. On the last point, I have been very clear and the programme for Government is very clear: this will be delivered over the lifetime of this Government. It will be done in an incremental manner. One of the first key steps was taken just last week when we announced a fee cap would be put in place. We will build on that as we go forward. Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: We absolutely recognise that there are areas across the country where it is extremely challenging for the needs of parents to be met. For this reason, the Department is taking a number of initiatives, such as the building blocks extension scheme to provide assistance for an existing provider to put on an extension and to provide for more places. Where that is not a possibility and where no...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I will begin by addressing Deputy Gould's points. The express purpose last year of introducing the guidelines to schools was to ensure that they would have a freedom, at the end of the school day, to introduce things like after-school provision. As part of the guidelines, schools were informed that any funding they received through that would not impact on any grants they received from the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department funds the provision of a range of Tusla services in County Clare, including family resource centres in Shannon, Kilrush, Ennistymon and Killaloe. These services do great work with children and families throughout Clare, and I am delighted to be able to support that work. According to information provided by Tusla on the number of social workers in Clare, I have been informed...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I confirm that the Department allocated additional funding to Tusla in 2023 and 2024 and there was record investment in 2025. This included increased capital investment. Regarding foster care, 87.2% of all children in State care are cared for in the foster care setting. I cannot overstate the importance of this. It is a great opportunity for children to be placed in the foster care...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. To be clear, I am under no illusions regarding the importance of retaining staff in this sector. I have been clear on that from the outset. We can make all the progress we want in having additional places and more accommodations available but if we do not have staff working in the sector, we achieve nothing at all. Suffice to say, the Government has put €45...