Results 41-60 of 20,844 for speaker:Norma Foley

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...

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

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. A Forward Planning and Delivery Unit is undertaking important work to identify areas of need, forecast demand, and prepare for the delivery of public supply of early learning and childcare sector in areas where it is required. A forward planning model is in...

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

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on late 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January. 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 approved to progress to the next stage of the grant process. As part of the...

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

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched in late 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January. 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 successful applicants approved to progress to the next stage of the grant process. One...

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

Norma Foley: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.

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: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: Officials in the Department are engaging with the relevant aegis bodies to collate the information requested. A reply will issue directly to the Deputy in respect of the Department's position as well as the aegis bodies as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (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: EU Presidency (14 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: As the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Ireland will have the responsibility for progressing the EU agenda for the second half of 2026. The Presidency will also provide an opportunity to spotlight issues where we have special expertise, and Ireland is a world-leader on child and youth participation. During Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU,...

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

Norma Foley: This Government recognises that waiting times for Assessment of Need (AON) are too long and have a significant impact on delivering on the needs of children and their families. Both this Department and the HSE are committed to reducing the timeframes for assessment and have been working intensively to progress measures to achieve this. It is important to emphasise that, while children...

Financial Resolutions 2025 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (8 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, as an am agus an deis a thabhairt dom labhairt ar bhuiséad 2026.. I welcome the opportunity to address the House this evening on the key elements of the budget 2026 allocation for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. This is the first of five budgets where we begin the journey to achieve a number of key objectives. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. As the State is not the employer of staff in the sector, neither I nor the Department can set wage levels or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Paternity Leave (8 Oct 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 Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 provides the relevant parent (other than the mother of the child) with 2 weeks paid paternity leave. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: After-School Support Services (8 Oct 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. The early learning and childcare sector has expanded significantly in recent years; enrolments increased by 19% between 2022 and 2024 and registrations of new services have increased. This is particularly the case with school age childcare services with 261 new...