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

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: I also join in the condolences offered to Harvey's family. I speak today conscious that much more needs to be done to improve our spinal services for children. The parents of children waiting for spinal surgery have real and genuine concerns and the Government must address those concerns. All parents want the best for their children and every opportunity for their future and rightly so. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to the 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, Disability and Equality: Disabilities Assessments (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to the 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, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (14 Oct 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, Disability and Equality: After-School Support Services (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department does not directly provide an Early Learning and Care or School Aged Childcare transport service. Services may at their own discretion provide for transport as part of their overall service offer and the substantial subsidies provided by my Department contribute to the cost of this throughout the offset of fees in those services. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Care Services (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: I am advised by Tusla that as of 10 October 2025, there are 15 young people in Special Care. At present, there are no young people who are currently the subject of a Special Care Order (in accordance with the Child Care Act 1991) and there are no young people awaiting placement within a Special Care Unit. I am fully aware of the significant challenges facing special care services. While...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Care Services (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 766, 767, 768, 769, 770, 772, 773, 774 and 775 together. Special care units are secure, residential facilities for children in care aged between 11 and 17 years. They are detained under a High Court care order for a short-term period of stabilisation when their behaviour poses a real and substantial risk of harm to their life, health, safety, development or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Child and Family Agency (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: The Child and Family Agency (Tusla) has statutory responsibility for the operation of Special Care in Ireland, and for the provision of Special Care beds. The total combined capacity of Special Care Units across 3 Special Care Centres is 26 beds. The current capacity is currently for 15 children due primarily to challenges recruiting and retaining social care workers. Tusla continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Child and Family Agency (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: The Government is committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC), with an investment of €1.48bn in the 2026 budget. This funding will allow my Department to build on recent progress in the gradual reduction of fees for parents, while also supporting supply and the quality of provision. New caps on maximum fees came into...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disabilities Assessments (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question refers to the 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, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched in late 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January 2025. There were four strands to the scheme: Community Construction, Community Extension, Community Purchasing and Private Extension. A total of 78 applications were received with 50 applicants were approved to progress to the next stage of the grant process. As part...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: Many families use the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) to help reduce the cost of early learning and childcare. Under the Scheme, subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, with a maximum number of weekly hours for which the subsidy applies. The Scheme enables parents and services to agree on care arrangements as required. Discussion and agreement between parents and providers on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Contracts (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department publishes quarterly reports of purchase orders over €20,000 in line with the Public Service Reform Plan 2011 commitment number 9.4 ("Every Purchase Order by a Government Department or Agency for €20,000 or over should be published online"). These reports are produced based on the information available on the Department’s Financial Management System...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Circulars (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: I have forwarded this question on to all bodies under the aegis of this Department and they will respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Family Resource Centres (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that Tusla does not currently have any additional allocation for the provision of play therapy services at the Family Resource Centre concerned. Core Family Resource Centre funding, which is administered by Tusla, is designed to support the overall operation and delivery of family and community support activities, rather than to fund specific therapeutic posts. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Residential Institutions (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Residential Institutions (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Reports (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy in this matter as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: The Government is committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC), with an investment of €1.48bn in the 2026 budget. This funding will allow my Department to build on recent progress in the gradual reduction of fees for parents, while also supporting supply and the quality of provision. New caps on maximum fees came into...