Results 981-1,000 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The death of a child in care or known to state services, whether at home, in care, or aftercare, is a tragic event that deeply affects family, friends, carers/staff connected to the child and local communities. The National Review Panel (NRP) conducts reviews of child deaths and serious incidents, where the child is in care or is known to Tusla. The NRP is independent in the performance...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The results from the 2025 childcare survey of parents, undertaken by Ipsos B&A on behalf of my Department, highlight both the positive progress made and challenges that exist in accessibility of both pre-school age and school going childcare for families. Of those surveyed, 95% of parents of pre-school children and 93% of parents of school-going children reported being satisfied with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The National Childcare Scheme provides subsidies – both universal and targeted - to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and childcare. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 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, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Ensuring access to early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. Capital funding is one way that Government supports capacity expansion. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January and a total of 78 applications were received from across the country. 49 of these applicants have been...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme opened for applications in March 2024. The underpinning legislation for the Scheme provides for a number of reports and reviews to be produced. Section 48 provides for two reviews into the operation of the Scheme to be completed. The first is to be completed within six months of the Scheme’s second anniversary, by September 2026. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 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, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: State Pensions (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I am aware that eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory) is an area of genuine concern for foster carers. The Programme for Government 2025 contains a commitment to develop a pension solution for foster carers in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, and to acknowledge their long-term commitment and to ensure that they are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Significant improvements have been made in the entitlements to both paid and unpaid leaves in recent years, including by extending paid parent's leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their baby during their earliest years. The Maternity Protection Act 1994 and the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 provide a pregnant employee with 26 weeks of paid maternity leave...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 childcare provision,. While the 2001 Planning Guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: My department publishes summary statistics on the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme at month end on our website, available here - www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-equality-disability-int egration-and-youth/campaigns/mother-and-baby-institutions-pa yment-scheme/#payment-scheme-statistics-summary. The Deputy has sought particularly detailed statistics pertaining to the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 consistency of approach throughout the country to the treatment of applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early learning and childcare provision, for relevant planning...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) was introduced in 2016 to ensure that children with additional needs or a disability could access and meaningfully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. In line with a commitment in First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, an independent evaluation of AIM was...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: My priority for childminding is the continued delivery of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028.The publication of the National Action Plan in April 2021 followed an extensive process of public consultation and research. The National Action Plan distinguishes childminding which involves care in the childminder’s home from care that takes place in the child’s home,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department is working in collaboration with other relevant Departments and agencies to develop a national plan to further the development of Irish language provision in the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector. The development of such a plan is a commitment in the 5-Year Action Plan for the Irish Language. The national plan is expected to support the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children and families. Tusla perform invaluable work often under extremely challenging circumstances. On becoming Minister, I requested to meet with the CEO of Tusla and it was agreed that we would meet on 19 February 2025. The CEO and I discussed a wide variety of issues...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: As this relates to 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, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reviews (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits to review and increase Core Funding. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The introduction of Core Funding in 2022, brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. This funding increased by 11% in year 2 (to €287 million). The scheme increased by a further 15% in year 3 (to €331 million). I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Core Funding was introduced in September 2022. The Scheme is designed to improve affordability for parents through the introduction of fee management and contractual requirements on providers to offer the National Childcare Scheme and/or the ECCE programme. The Scheme aims to improve quality through better pay and conditions for the workforce by supporting agreement on Employment...