Results 1,081-1,100 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Correspondence (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Investment in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) has quadrupled in the last 10 years from €260 million in 2015 to €1.37 billion in 2025. Included in this allocation is Core Funding, which is a grant to providers designed to support quality, sustainability, and enhanced public management, with associated conditions in relation to fee control and cost...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January. A total of 78 applications were received. These applications came from a variety of locations across the country. All applications received were appraised carefully against the objectives and criteria of the programme in a fair and impartial process. Of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Since its introduction in 2016, AIM has had a major impact on the lives of children with additional needs and the overall quality of early learning and care. In that period over 35,000 children have received...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Please find a schedule of the relevant services for this Department as requested.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Missing Children (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Government recognises that Children reported Missing from Care are recognised as being some of the most vulnerable in society. Children missing from care fall under two categories, children who go missing from mainstream services for children in the care of Tusla, and those children who are Separated Children seeking International Protection (SCSIP) Services, though children in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (12 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: Departmental Strategies (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department commenced work on developing its Statement of Strategy following the completion of the transfer of integration functions the Department of Justice Home Affairs and Migration and youth functions to the Department of Education and Youth. It expects to publish the Statement of Strategy during quarter 3 of 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department commenced work on developing its Statement of Strategy following the completion of the transfer of integration functions the Department of Justice Home Affairs and Migration and youth functions to the Department of Education and Youth. It expects to publish the Statement of Strategy during quarter 3 of 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (12 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: Child and Family Agency (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Tusla have indicated that difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff is the primary limiting factor on capacity in Special Care Units. Officials from my Department continue to work with Tusla to support them in addressing the immediate staffing shortages in special care provision. Following extensive engagements between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: In 2024 Tusla commissioned a review of Special Care by an external review group to examine the future configuration of Special Care. The Report of the External Review Group on Special Care was published on 20 May 2025. The report presents recommendations for the future delivery of Special Care and is available to view on the Tusla website. Considerable work continues to be undertaken to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: In the Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government has made a commitment to update the Child Care Act, 1991. My Department is engaging with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, the Attorney General’s Office and other relevant Government Departments and Agencies to finalise the priority drafting of an amendment Bill to revise and update the 1991 Act, to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January. A total of 78 applications were received. These applications came from a variety of locations across the country. All applications received were appraised carefully against the objectives and criteria of the programme in a fair and impartial process. Of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (12 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January. A total of 78 applications were received. These applications came from a variety of locations across the country. All applications received were appraised carefully against the objectives and criteria of the programme in a fair and impartial process. There were...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (11 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: My office may be contacted at minister@equality.gov.ie and the Office of the Secretary General of my Department at secgensoffice@equality.gov.ie. The bodies under the aegis of my Department may be contacted as follows – Adoption Authority of Ireland corporate@aai.gov.ie + 353 1 2309 300 Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (11 Jun 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, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (11 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: A schedule of capital projects which had contracts valued in excess of €5million and which ran over cost in 2023 is included below, along with a description of the contract, the initial price and final price provided. The Deputy should please note that the schedule of projects below relate to the International Protection programme areas, which have since transferred to the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (11 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (11 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government has committed to establishing a cap on costs at €200 per child per month to further build on significant progress in affordability that has already been made through a number of existing Schemes. A detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare system will be developed, informed by stakeholder...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (11 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I firmly believe 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. Pay is one of a number of issues impacting the early learning and care and school-age childcare workforce. The level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners does not reflect...