Results 141-160 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Department does not keep a central register of staff members qualifications. However, my officials maintain a record of training provided to staff and, in that respect, I can advise that the Department has funded one level 6 certificate in Public Procurement in 2023. The Department has offered training to all staff on an Introduction to Public...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. This includes reviewing deposit rules across each early learning and childcare scheme. Under Core Funding, in which over 92% of the sector participate, providers agree that all deposits relating to the 2024/2025 Programme Year must be returned to the parent/ guardian once the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Reviews (24 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, Disability and Equality: Departmental Policies (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I recognise the enormous, personal impact that pregnancy loss has on expectant parents and I wish to extend my sympathies to all parents who have suffered such a tragic loss. My officials are examining the findings of a qualitative research study to examine the workplace experiences of parents coping with pregnancy loss with an aim to informing potential supports. The study,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Budgets (24 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, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The Tusla National Out of Hours Social Work Service provides an emergency child protection and welfare response when required outside of office hours, when service area offices are closed. The Out of Hours Service aims to ensure the safety and welfare of children not receiving adequate care and protection outside of Tusla’s operating hours. The Service provides emergency placements...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: My department provides for the upgrading and maintenance of playground facilities for children and young people through the annual Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation. Established in 2013, this grant scheme operates through and with Local Authorities. The scheme also funds the development of new playgrounds and recreation facilities and the incorporation of natural play elements. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Family Support Services (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has advised my Department that, in January 2025, the Agency was required to identify a suitable placement for a child with challenging and complex needs. In the circumstances, the Agency made the decision to temporarily close the referenced respite centre in order to accommodate this critical placement of a vulnerable young person. Tusla has advised that...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 722 and 724 together. The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Projects (24 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, Disability and Equality: Departmental Projects (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: In 2023, my Department piloted the Little Baby Bundle. Almost 500 expectant families who were attending the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin and University Hospital Waterford received the Baby Bundle, and provided feedback to the Department on their experiences as part of a commissioned evaluation of the pilot. My Department commissioned an independent evaluation of the pilot in order to gather...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Ensuring access to early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. There has been a significant expansion of provision in recent years and a 19% increase in children enrolled in services between 2022 and 2024. We are continuing to support the sustainability and expansion of the sector through ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Capital funding that has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the National Development Plan (NDP) has enabled significant investment in early learning and childcare. In 2025, €25m in voted expenditure was made available for the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. This will allow existing Core Funding Partner Services extend their existing premises or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Staff (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: While my Department employees staff as ICT specialists and Statisticians, it does not employ anyone in the role as ‘ICT data specialist’.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Strategies (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department leads on cross-government policy to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Programme for Government 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 consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: Work is well advanced on the Programme for Government commitment to reduce the administrative burden on providers. On 19 September 2023, plans to develop an Action Plan for Administrative and Regulatory Simplification for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector were announced, supported by a Working Group comprising representatives from the Department, Pobal and the City / County Childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Qualifications (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, launched in 2021, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, launched in April 2021, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Websites (24 Jun 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department continues to implement ‘Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028’. Nurturing Skills sets out plans to raise the profile of careers in the sector and establish role profiles, career pathways, qualification requirements, and associated policy mechanisms, along with leadership development opportunities,...