Norma Foley

I appreciate all the points the Deputy raised. I do want to say that it is not just the setting up of the check and putting in place the independent steering group and all that. Engagement has also taken place with other Government Departments to explore opportunities for appropriate data sharing to establish where the children encompassed by this review are currently or recently known to the rele…

I recognise that it is a whole-of-house determination to do right here and, where we can improve things and make things better, that we would absolutely do that. The first step for us, of course, is the well-being check in terms of specifically having eyes on children where cases were closed during Covid. I will be led by the steering group on the timeline for that. I will respect its independence…

Again, that is a matter for the national review panel. Prior to anything being published, it will have to be with the permission of the Attorney General. It would have to go through all of that, so as soon as all the Attorney General's work is completed.

The Government is committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality early learning and care and school-age childcare, with an investment of €1.48 billion in the 2026 budget. This funding will allow the Department to build on recent progress in the gradual reduction of fees for parents while also supporting supply and the quality of provision. Budget 2026 enables core funding to continue to suppo…

I concede that there are those that have left but, in the round, nationally, we have the highest level of providers choosing to be part of the core funding model, at almost 93%. We have never had it as high, notwithstanding, and I understand the challenges in the Deputy's area, that in certain areas people have chosen to opt out. In terms of supports being provided in core funding, there has been…

As the Deputy articulated, this is a commitment across the lifetime of Government in terms of the delivery of the €200 cost. We have maintained the fee freeze at 2021 levels. Those paying who were paying the highest costs at €295 are now paying less than €200 when the subsidies are included. There is more work to be done in that space. It will be over the lifetime of the Government that we will re…

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. The 2001 guidelines have contributed to the crea…

I appreciate how infuriating it is and I could identify them myself in various areas, where these specific buildings, which were committed to be early learning and childcare facilities have either had a price placed on them that is far beyond what anybody could pay or the design of the building, on occasion, sometimes is not even appropriate. It is there in name as an early learning and childcare …

I do not disagree with the Deputies. I am conscious this is a logjam and a challenge that should not be there in the first instance. I have always been of the view that where you have housing, you need to have early learning and childcare facilities. You need to have schools. You need to have, as the Deputy said, community developed around it. There are too many stumbling blocks and it has been ma…

Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of the Government. Overall, early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the annual early years sector profile in 2024 shows the estimated number of enrolments has increased by 19% in the previous two years. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than…

To be quite honest with the Deputy, I am not sure where the two years is coming out of. I am speaking on the programme for Government for this Government. The Deputy is aware it was this Government that put into the programme for Government the commitment to deliver State-led facilities - not the last Government, this one. As this Government has been in place for less than nine months, I am at a l…

Let us be clear: when it was first conceived, the forward planning unit had absolutely nothing to do with the State-led model. The State-led model is an innovation of this Government, which is in place less than nine months. The Deputy is conflating two things that have nothing to do with each other. Let us have absolute clarity about that in terms of the timeline the Deputy is talking about. The …

I welcome the opportunity to provide an update on the matter. I am pleased to confirm that historical fee data is now available on the national childcare service search for fees from the 2021-22 programme year to the present programme year. I acknowledge that this was very important to the Deputy and that he pursued it for some time. The portal hosting this information was originally designed to c…

I acknowledge that the Deputy has pursued this. It is important that parents have the maximum information available to them. It is also important that the system is seen to be transparent and that is the purpose of the information being made available. I can confirm that it went live on 30 October, just a short while ago. If parents need any additional information or assistance, I suggest that the…

I thank the Deputy very much. Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority for Government. Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the annual early years sector profile shows the estimated number of enrolments has increased by approximately 19% between 2022 and 2024. However, it appears demand for early learning and childcare rema…

I hear the case the Deputy makes but I am obliged to point out the improvements that have been made, which the Deputy has already articulated. Not everybody is in that space but I have to point out the increases to parent's leave and parent's benefit and all of that, although I absolutely acknowledge that does not meet the needs of every single individual. We are very conscious of the need to ensu…

It is finished, is it? The time is up.

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. As one of…

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 first is to secur…

I thank the Deputy very much. I reiterate the comments I have made previously. This is such an upsetting and awful situation and, like the Deputy, I extend my sympathies to all those who knew and loved Daniel and recognise what a great source of upset and heartbreak it is to everybody, from the immediate family to the foster carers and wider society as well. I thank the Deputy for her question. I…

Again, I acknowledge this is a significant step forward in terms of cases that were closed during the lockdowns caused by Covid. It is important to say there are many reasons for a case being closed. Oftentimes, we regard that as a real positive and then on other occasions a case can open again. It is important also to say many of these cases may well be to do with child welfare as distinct from c…

I thank the Deputy and appreciate her engagement on this matter. I think we are all ad idem in our determination that we need to move proactively where we find any gaps in information or support. The Deputy is correct. I have identified the issue with ECCE. ECCE, the early childcare provision, has been hugely successful. It is two years of free preschool care, if you like. We have almost a 97% upt…

The national carer's strategy 2012 sets out Government policy on family carers. Oversight of the strategy is led by the Department of Health, with individual Departments leading on action areas that fall within their remit. The Department of Social Protection provides payment supports to carers, while my Department supports the provision of respite services for people with disabilities and their c…

I recognise the extraordinary service provided by family carers and all carers. Without their diligence and the work that they do, the lives of many would be in a far worse position. I absolutely and unreservedly recognise their work. As I said, respite sessions for people with disabilities have increased significantly, with over 164,000 respite overnights and more than 65,000 respite day-only ses…

I join the Deputy in recognising the great work of Family Carers Ireland. Spending on respite services for people with disabilities is about €134 million annually. Since 2020 there has been a significant increase in this funding, of 58%. The Deputy is quite correct to put it in the context of the upcoming budget negotiations that we need to do more in this space also. The HSE is about to undertak…