Results 81-100 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 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 for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Equality Issues (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I wish to acknowledge the challenges faced by couples pursuing surrogacy arrangements and reaffirm Government's commitment to recognising and supporting Irish families in all their diversity. The Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future commits to introducing paid surrogacy leave and my officials are examining this commitment. They are also engaging with officials from...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: Currently my Department does not collect data on waiting times for access to the ECCE Programme or scheme specific data on waiting lists and vacant places. However, in relation to capacity Pobal compiles data, on behalf of my Department, on waiting lists and vacant places from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers through the Annual Early Years Sector...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Mother and Baby Homes (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the pain caused by the death of children who were resident in the former Mother and Baby institution at 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: Mother and Baby Homes (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme acknowledges circumstances experienced while resident in a Mother and Baby Institution and the associated conditions, shame and stigma endured over a period of time. Using time spent as the deciding factor, is intended to support a non-adversarial approach which avoids the need for applicants to have to bring forward evidence or prove abuse or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Detention Centres (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I am concerned that the question asked repeats assertions made about recent incidents at Oberstown which were put into the public domain without consultation or verification and which contain significant factual inaccuracies. I would like to correct these inaccuracies and provide important context while being mindful of the sensitivities of the individuals involved. Oberstown operates a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Detention Centres (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 6 girls). Places can be used to accommodate both children on detention orders and children...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (3 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. For this reason, the Scheme is designed to be flexible in acknowledgement that childcare needs vary widely across families. As such, NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for i.e. 45...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Data (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Mother and Baby Homes (3 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Deputy has asked about funding relationships between the State and Sean Ross Abbey between 1950 and 1980. The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes made significant findings in relation to what happened to vulnerable women and children in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Throughout its inquiry, the Commission relied on the testimony of hundreds of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (3 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: Care Services (2 Jul 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: Childcare Services (2 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: Childcare Services (2 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The fee caps I announced recently will only apply to Partner Services who sign up to Core Funding year 4. Programme year 4 begins in September, and any service signed up to Core Funding from September onwards will have to reduce their fees to meet the fee caps if they are currently charging higher fees. For information, my Department has a list of all Core Funding Partner Services which is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Reviews (2 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Implementation Plan 2023-25 under First 5 (the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families) commits to the development of comprehensive regulations for school-age childcare services, with a milestone objective of drafting regulations by the end of 2025. The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (2 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits for the first time to public provision of early learning and childcare through State-led facilities adding capacity in areas where unmet need exists. State ownership of facilities is a very substantial and significant development and offers the potential to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (2 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: Departmental Strategies (2 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 of 2024. This included a series of in-person consultations with representations from across civil society as well as an online...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Equality Issues (2 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: The Government has taken a range of actions to reduce the gender pay gap which was 9.6% in 2022 according to the latest Structure of Earnings Survey. The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 introduced the legislative basis for gender pay gap reporting in Ireland. The Act requires organisations to report on their hourly gender pay gap across a range of metrics. Employers must also publish a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Detention Centres (2 Jul 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 219 together. Oberstown is certified to ISO standard 45001 for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. This assures that the campus is operating to the highest health and safety standards. Compliance with this standard is reviewed annually and recertified every three years, most recent recertification was in January 2025. Any...