Hildegarde Naughton
Galway West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“It is an absolute commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio over the lifetime of the Government. The Deputy will appreciate I cannot announce anything here in the Dáil. I have to go into negotiations in relation to the upcoming budget.”
“Where we can, we give guidance and I know schools are very well aware of this. They do this well themselves so that where possible, the more junior classes would have a lower class size.”
“The identification model has to be applied consistently right across the country to have fairness and transparency around it. Under the DEIS strategy to 2035, work is under way in my Department, with colleagues in the Central Statistics Office and across other Departments, to utilise other administrative data sources to help improve how w…”
“The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme for an additional temporary classroom in 2025. This school had previously been approved for a permanent extension under the ASA scheme in 2021 for a two-classroom special education needs unit and one mainstream classroom.”
“A huge amount of work is being done on securing specialist places, be it in special classes or special schools. We are far ahead of where we were this time last year. We had a budget for 400 special classes. I got increased funding in March of this year. We are ahead in relation to forward planning.”
“The general average of pupils to teachers in the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year. Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.2 through the investment we are making in schools.”
The complete record
Every one of 767 lines we hold for Hildegarde Naughton, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 16 of 16.
“It is a matter for providers to decide whether they wish to withdraw from the core funding scheme, the significant financial supports it provides to providers and the certainty it provides to parents through the associated fee management measures. However, the Minister, Deputy Foley, is confident that given the level of investment and the associated supports, services should not need to take this step. While a provider may withdraw from core funding, they will remain eligible in the programme year to provide the national childcare scheme, the early childhood care and education programme and the community childcare subvention plus saver programme.”
“Fee management was introduced, with the substantial investment of core funding, following the recommendations of the expert group in the Partnership for the Public Good report. For Deputy Currie's information, a total of 1,147 services submitted applications to the fee increase assessment team in 2024. As of 5 February 2025, a total of 1,098 decisions have been issued to eligible services. Additionally, of the 1,147 applicants, a total of 811 have been approved to increase at least one fee, which equates to a success rate of 73.86%. Parents and guardians and their children can only avail of the benefits and protections that core funding creates, such as the effective fee freeze, at 2021 levels, if their service has chosen to participate in the scheme as a partner service.”
“I thank Deputy Currie. Her passion for this issue has been very clear throughout her contributions this morning and previously. I will relay the points she has raised to the Minister, Deputy Foley, who has responsibility for this area. The introduction of core funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector of €259 million, paid directly to services in the first year of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. Now in its third year of operation, core funding is worth €331 million. The increases implemented from September last year facilitate increases in the base rate for all age groups. The strengthening of targeted measures was introduced in 2023 to support sessional and smaller services and growth in the sector.”
“As well as the fee increase process, a cap on fees was introduced for services joining core funding for the first time in the third year. A fee cap will apply to all services in core funding from September 2025. This change will improve affordability for parents, as very high fees will be reduced.”
“For example, if a service offered five fee options and one fell below the county average, only the one fee below the county average was eligible to enter the assessment process. The onus was on the provider to demonstrate a need for a fee increase. Where parents may be seeing an increase in their fees as a result of this process, those in receipt of the universal subsidy, for example, will not see an increase in out-of-pocket costs compared to this time last year because of the maximum increase allowable under the process. For parents on the universal subsidy using the full hours offered, fees are not increasing beyond the level charged in September 2022, when core funding was introduced. These parents will have been paying some of the lowest fees in the country.”
“Only services charging fees below the average in their county were eligible to apply. There was an assessment to ensure there was a demonstrable need for a fee increase before approval was granted. Where a demonstrable need to increase a fee was confirmed, the resulting increase did not exceed 74 cent per hour, and the maximum weekly increase was €33.30, which was equivalent to the increase to the national childcare scheme subsidy from September 2024. For example, a place offering 45 hours was eligible for a maximum increase of €33.30 while a place offering 20 hours was eligible for a maximum increase of €14.80. The process closed for applications on 29 November 2024. Only services charging low fees, those being fees below the average in their county, were eligible to apply.”
“This effective fee freeze ensured the increases to the national childcare scheme universal subsidy in 2023 were fully felt by parents in corresponding reductions in out-of-pocket costs. In recognition of the notable difference in fees charged across the sector, and given that some services may have been operating with a fee that was not sufficient to sustain the business, even with increased State investment through core funding, a fee increase assessment process was introduced in year three of the programme. The fee increase assessment process balanced the need of parents for stability in their early learning and childcare costs and the need for providers to operate viable businesses in order to continue providing this public good service for their community. The fee increase application process opened on 31 July 2024.”
“I know from her time in the Seanad, and now representing the constituency of Dublin West in the Dáil, that the cost of childcare is one she has been raising consistently and one she is very passionate about. By way of background, core funding represents a significant increase in income for services and allowed for the introduction of the fee management system in line with the recommendations of the expert group in the Partnership for the Public Good report. The first step in introducing fee management was to limit increases in fee rates, which in years one and two was effectively a fee freeze, whereby providers could not increase the fees charged from September 2021. Core funding has allowed for substantial increases in the total cost base for the sector, related both to pay and non-pay costs, thereby creating the conditions for this.”
“I congratulate Deputy Currie on a personal level on her election in Dublin West. I know how passionate and hard-working she is. It is great to see her rewarded and sitting in Dáil Éireann today. I know her family are very proud and, in particular, I know her father would be very proud of what she has achieved. I look forward to working with her. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley, and I will raise the issues Deputy Currie has raised directly with the Minister. They are very important for us as a Government and we look forward to working with Deputy Currie. I thank Deputy Currie for raising this very important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle. It is proposed that the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the business to be taken today: - the proceedings on the nominations for Taoiseach shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 45 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: - the allocation of time shall be as follows: - speeches of a proposer and seconder 5 minutes each; and - speeches by representatives of parties who have not made a nomination 7 minutes per party; - if they have not made a nomination, speeches by representatives of the Independent and Parties Technical Group, and the Independent Technical Group – 7 minutes per group; - Taoiseach – 10 minutes; - members may share time; - on the determination of any nominations for Taoiseach, the Dáil shall, unless it otherwise orders, stand suspended for three hours; - the proceedings on the approval of the nomination by the Taoiseach of other members of the Government shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour and 13 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: - the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: - speeches by Taoiseach and Tánaiste 15 minutes each; - speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin – 15 minutes in total; - speeches by representatives of the Labour Party and the Social Democrats 7 minutes per party; - speeches by representatives of the Independent and Parties Technical Group, and the Independent Technical Group – 7 minutes per group; and - members may share time; - the proceedings on the Motion re Establishment of Select Committee on Subsidiarity (European Union Legislative Scrutiny) shall be taken as the second-last item of business without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; - the proceedings on the Motion re the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform shall be taken as the last item of business without debate, any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately, and the Committee shall report on matters relating to the formation of technical groups in the 34th Dáil not later than Friday 31st January, 2025; and - on the conclusion of the proceedings on the business outlined, the Dáil shall adjourn until 2 p.m.”
“The Government is fully committed to working with all parties and none in the committee to make the required changes that are fair not only to Members of this current Dáil but also to future Dáileanna in the years ahead. We will aim to have this resolved by 5 February.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I would like to update Members of the House that the Government recognises that there is an ambiguity in Standing Orders which requires clarification in differentiating between members of the Opposition and the Government. The Government believes our Dáil is ever evolving and that standing orders should evolve to reflect the membership and groupings of the House. The Government will today bring forward a motion to establish the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform, to fully engage with the committee and to work to secure agreement, as soon as possible and acceptable to Government and Opposition, as regards formation of technical groups and the rights of unaligned Members.”
“Thank you, Ceann Comhairle. Following a series of meetings between party Whips today, a number of measures have been agreed. These meetings were held to enable the democratic process of this House and do what we were all elected to Dáil Éireann to do, that is, to elect a Taoiseach and Government. All parties have agreed to allow the democratic process to proceed. There were a number of agreements and it is my understanding that that is now in dispute.”
“Today as Members of Dáil Éireann, we are all here to elect a Government and Taoiseach following the result of the general election. That is our duty. The Ceann Comhairle has given a clear commitment to work with all parties and none to resolve the issue of the technical group. I reiterate the Government's clear commitment to work with her and that process to resolve that to ensure we have a politically acceptable solution. The Dáil will resume on 5 February and I want to ensure that together, we can ensure we have a functioning Government elected and up and running on that date. I propose that the Whips meet for 30 minutes to see if we can find a resolution with the Ceann Comhairle's approval.”
“----- - the proceedings on the motion re establishment of Select Committee on Subsidiarity (European Union Legislative Scrutiny) shall be taken as the last item of business without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and - on the conclusion of the proceedings on the business outlined, the Dáil shall adjourn until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 5 February 2025.”
“or four hours after the conclusion of the proceedings on the nominations, whichever is the later; - the proceedings on the approval of the nomination by the Taoiseach of other members of the Government shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour and 30 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: - the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows: - speeches by Taoiseach and Tánaiste 15 minutes each; - speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats and the prospective technical groups 10 minutes per party or group; and - members may share time-----”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle. It is proposed that the following arrangements shall apply to the business to be taken today: - The proceedings on the nominations for Taoiseach shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 1 hour and 20 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: - the allocation of time shall be as follows: - speeches of a proposer and seconder 5 minutes each; and - speeches by representatives of parties and the prospective technical groups who have not made a nomination 10 minutes per party or group; and - members may share time; - on the determination of any nominations for Taoiseach, the Dáil shall, unless it otherwise orders, stand suspended until either 5.30 p.m.”