Norma Foley
Kerry · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Therefore, the means by which the motion proposes to address the challenges raised may not specifically align with the approach being taken, but I absolutely accept that the underlying goals are the same and I accept the Deputies' sincerity in seeking to achieve them.”
“I intend to bring forward specific proposals arising from this work towards the end of the year, depending on progress and the outcome of ongoing engagement with stakeholders.”
“Working with that office, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is absolutely committed to seeking to expand and reform specialist disability services in order to maximise individuals’ independence and support them to live lives of their choosing in places of their choosing.”
“A number of new measures are in train to move towards planned provision of residential supports, including the provision of planned residential placements under a new initiative, as outlined in the HSE’s 2026 national service plan.”
“I absolutely accept they are fighting tirelessly to highlight the need for us to ensure their loved ones are cared for and provided with appropriate housing, as and when it is needed. For far too many families, placements are made at the last minute, causing distress to individuals and their families.”
“In line with commitments contained in the programme for Government and the national human rights strategy, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is now developing a new vision and reform strategy for disability services.”
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“I can inform the Deputy that in instances where the NRP makes recommendations which fall outside the remit of both my Department and Tusla, officials within my Department ensure that these recommendations are brought to the attention of the appropriate Department.”
“The NRP is independent in the performance of its functions, making findings of fact and producing reports that are objective and independent of Tusla. The NRP produces reports that are factually based and identify points of learning to improve services provided to children and families. I am conscious that since its establishment the NRP has played a critical role in identifying systemic issues, obstacles to good practice and areas for learning to improve services. Tusla has advised that out of the 133 reports that the NRP has produced to date, 90 reports or executive summaries have been published and are available on its website.”
“However, I assure the Deputy that the Department and I will proactively engage with the nominated lead Department responsible for the delivery of such a mechanism over the lifetime of this Government. The death of a child in care or known to State services, whether at home, in care or aftercare, is a tragic event and, indeed, the death of a child in any circumstance is a tragic event, but it deeply affects family, friends, carers and staff connected to the child and local communities. Specifically in relation to a child in care, we are fortunate to have in place the national review panel, NRP, which conducts reviews of child death and serious incidents where the child is in care or is known to Tusla.”
“The establishment of a child death review mechanism, while very welcome, is not in the remit of the Department of children. As the Ombudsman for Children’s recent child death review report outlined, the majority of deaths take place in medical settings, which the Deputy will appreciate is outside of the scope of the Department. It is important to state that. I welcomed the report entitled Child Death Review: The Case for a National Statutory Review Mechanism for the Deaths of Children in Ireland. I am conscious that the data outlined in the report also highlights that deaths of children in care are only a small subset of the overall number of child deaths occurring in the State. In that regard, the Department has a limited overall input in this respect.”
“The purpose of the action plan is to ensure that it focuses on all aspects of delivering or building an affordable, high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare system. The Government is committed to publishing that.”
“The entire purpose is to ensure that we can maintain the services that we have, and indeed, provide for new services to meet the demands that are out there. The Deputy will have to concede that the Government is the most significant contributor at this point in time to this sector. The investment from the Government is quite phenomenal but equally so, it is the objective of the Government where necessary for it to step in with the provision of State-led facilities, to do that going forward and to support existing providers to be sustainable going forward. I am not familiar with the case the Deputy raised. I am happy for that case to be examined. However, there is a sustainability fund within the Department. There is a fee adjustment in the review, but it does take into account what happens throughout the county.”
“I acknowledge the engagement we have had with city and county managers and the specific work being done with nominated planners and wider planners to ensure that we have a system that is fit for purpose and will inform the work we are doing. I acknowledge the engagement of the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, and indeed, my ongoing engagement with him. Another meeting is scheduled shortly.”
“The Deputy and I have discussed this at length. It is my strong view that the notion of 75 homes and providing 20 childcare places is not fit for purpose. We have also discussed that there are many units across the country that were built-for-purpose childcare but either went for a change of use or were certainly not used for the purpose for which they were intended. As the Deputy referenced forward planning, the forward planning unit of my Department, which is up and running, will be a significant tool to identify where there are specific issues. We rely on the laser-like commitment of local authorities in this regard. To ensure that we have the appropriate guidelines in place a series of meetings took place over the summer.”
“The approach more widely to ensuring appropriate levels of early learning and childcare supply is core to the work of my Department and will be further articulated in the context of the action plan to build an affordable, high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare system.”
“These issues include ensuring that buildings developed on foot of the guidelines meet the needs of the local population and are fit for purpose, and balancing the need to ensure sufficient provision for children and families, regardless of the size or housing type of the development, with ensuring that buildings are effectively operated as intended. In parallel, planning is under way to ensure the views of other stakeholders who will have an interest in the revised guidelines are catered for. I have engaged with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to discuss how best to support and inform the drafting of revised guidelines under the new planning and development Act. I will be meeting him and his officials again shortly.”
“An early learning and childcare planning matters working group, with officials from my Department and the Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Education and Youth was established in 2024 and has met on a number of occasions in 2024 and 2025. In addition, meetings have been held over summer of this year with members of the working group and officials from different local authorities who were nominated by the County and City Management Association planning and land use committee. This engagement with nominated planners was effective in identifying a number of important considerations for the review and is now informing a wider engagement with local authorities.”
“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 programme for Government commits to reviewing the 2001 childcare facilities guidelines for planning authorities to ensure early learning and childcare spaces are provided and put to use for the purpose they were intended. The Planning and Development Act 2024 and the publication of the national planning framework now provide a strong basis from which to pursue this work.”
“There is, as the Deputy conceded, unprecedented Government funding going into the sector. If a provider steps out at any point, that provider can return. The Department has a sustainability fund. If a provider is of the view it is not viable to continue or is having particular sustainability issues, it can in the first instance engage with the city and county childcare committees and it can engage with the Department on the sustainability fund. The purpose is to ensure there is a free line of communication between all concerned and that these services are sustainable. On areas of significant demand, which I have already discussed with other Deputies, we are looking at areas across the country via the forward planning unit we have.”
“We are already at 90% of providers having joined core funding, which is 5% ahead of where we were at this time last year. The opportunity to engage in core funding remains open and services can sign up to the fourth year of the scheme at any point in the year. It is significant to be able to say that at this stage of the year we have reached 90%. We are in an Estimates period and will in the next couple of weeks have the budget. I am committed to seeking to do even more to provide resources, notwithstanding, as the Deputy said, the significant resources provided for in terms of core funding. The Deputy referred to services closing. Every year some services will close while new services will open. That is the reality of it but 2024 saw a net increase of 226 services.”
“Recent improvements include the extension of the universal subsidy to children under 15 and two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy, now worth €96.30 per week for 45 hours. Almost 220,000 children benefited from a subsidy in 2024. Since last September, children in childminding settings can also benefit from these subsidies. The fee management system introduced through core funding has made sure the investment in affordability is not absorbed by unnecessary fee increases. Core funding has enjoyed high participation rates to date. Currently, the rate of uptake for the upcoming year is 90%.”
“For those on the minimum level of subsidy, this will bring their out-of-pocket costs down to less than €200 per week with those on income-assessed subsidies paying less again. While this is an important development for those paying the highest fees, with a median fee of €200 per week nationally, or just €100 after the minimum subsidies are deducted, the reality is many families pay less than this figure. This latest measure builds on a range of supports already in place. The ECCE programme provides two years of preschool without charge and has participation rates of 96% to 97%. More than 70% of families say that if it were not a free service, they would never have been able to access it. The national childcare scheme complements the ECCE programme, giving universal and targeted subsidies to reduce costs for parents.”
“I thank the Deputy. He will be aware that the maximum fee caps were extended to all partner services in core funding this month. The introduction of fee caps is an important step towards the reduction of parental fees to €200 per month over the lifetime of this Government. While the fee caps were introduced for new services last year, they now cover all services that are in core funding. In addition, the fee caps are set at a lower level than before. The maximum fee for a full-day place of between 40 and 50 hours per week, which is the most common full-day care service, is €295 per week before State subsidies under the national childcare scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted.”
“I acknowledge everybody in this field, the professionals on the front line and the families enduring what they are enduring. I do not forget Cara Darmody's great advocacy work. I want to acknowledge the additional funding in place - the €10 million that is very much close to Cara's heart - to ensure private assessments could be delivered under the AON process. Under that initiative, the HSE provides for the procurement of clinical assessments from private providers and almost 5,000 such assessments have been commissioned under the programme. That is quite significant. I know it is something Cara is quite proud of and she seeks to do more in relation to it. On the right to an AON, the six months will not be interfered with, nor will the right to seek an AON.”
“When it comes to AONs, 58% were completed at the start of this year, which represents an increase compared with last year. That is not to say there is not an ongoing waiting list. The waiting list is quite significant.”
“When it comes to the CDNTs, I would be the first to say that a lot more work needs to be done in this regard. If we wish to look on the positive side, we have seen a nationwide increase of 26% in CDNT staffing levels since October 2023. The national vacancy rate has also reduced from 29% to 18%, but it needs to reduce a lot more. With regard to AONs, I absolutely acknowledge there is an increasing demand for AONs every single day, which has led to a growing waiting list. However, progress has been made in the past year, with a noted improvement in the number of assessments completed in 2024, up 30% compared with 2023. The trend is continuing, with a 58% increase in completions in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year.”
“They include significant measures to integrate and improve access to services, expand the workforce and advance better communication and engagement with families. HSE data from April show there has been a nationwide increase of 26% in children's disability network team staffing levels since October 2023. Most significantly, the national vacancy rate of CDNTs has reduced from 29% in 2023 to 18% in 2025, a reduction of 11 percentage points. It is still too high, however. We need to say that. I am very pleased to see this progress, but I know we absolutely need to do more. That is why we will continue to focus on increasing CDNT staffing numbers, reducing the vacancy rate even further and ensuring that more children with complex needs and their families receive the support they need.”
“This is a landmark strategy that will advance the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and provide a framework for whole-of-government action on disability issues. It contains a significant commitment to the delivery of a quality, accessible, equitable and timely service for all disabled children and their families, based on their need. The key vehicle for change and improvement is the roadmap for service improvement for disability services for children and young people. The implementation of this roadmap is well under way and will continue until 2026. The roadmap contains an important set of actions that, collectively, will enhance children’s disability services in Ireland.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. I recognise the other elements he had in place. In the context of the national human rights strategy for disabled people, there is a recognition that a number of Departments have different roles. This is and must be regarded as a whole-of-government approach. In the consultation process, one of the most telling exchanges that came from a disabled person referenced the fact that no one’s life is divided conveniently into Government Departments. I thought that was a great learning process for anyone to appreciate that. There is an apportioning of responsibility, however. I appreciate that the other Departments are going to take up some of the issues the Deputy has raised. As the Deputy will be aware and appreciate, engagement around the strategy was launched on 3 September.”
“It is my expectation that work will be completed before the end of the year. It will be facilitating a mechanism to allow us, on an ongoing basis, to review year-on-year core funding.”
“To reiterate, I am happy to look at any mechanism that will support the provision of additional places. I am very open to that, whatever that mechanism might be. We have opportunities to look afresh now, whether that is through mechanisms like the building blocks scheme or indeed through this new mechanism that we have through State-led facilities. Often, that does not necessarily mean building new premises. The Deputy is quite correct; there are already existing buildings in towns and villages throughout the country. On the issue of core funding, there is an evaluation of the first year of core funding currently under way. That review of core funding will allow us to have an evaluation framework that will facilitate ongoing reviews of each of the other years as well.”
“I have always been very clear that it is the determination of the Government to support existing providers through mechanisms like the building blocks scheme and, where that is not possible and the State needs to step in, the State will step in. We will use the information from the forward planning unit to make those decisions.”
“That €25 million investment under the building blocks scheme has and will provide for an additional 1,500 additional places, which are obviously much needed and a positive step forward. It is important, however, that we take the opportunity to review an existing programme every year. I am absolutely committed to reviewing existing measures and adding new measures. Deputy Kerrane referenced the State-led facilities, which are a new innovation and a positive step forward to facilitate those. There is a forward planning unit within the Department which will be focused on looking at areas where there are specific challenges. The Deputy has consistently referenced one such area in her constituency. There are other areas throughout the country where there are significant challenges regarding childcare provision.”
“For those on the minimum level of subsidy, this will bring their out-of-pocket costs down to less than €200 per week, with those on income-assessed subsidies paying less. While this is a helpful development for those paying the highest fees, it is important to note that with a median fee of €200 per week nationally, this results in many paying just €100 after the minimum subsidies are deducted. This latest measure builds on a range of supports already in place. The ECCE programme provides two years of preschool without charge and has participation rates of 96% to 97%.”
“Of course, we have not waited until publication of the action plan to start the important work we need to do in this area. The Deputy will be aware that the maximum fee caps were extended to all partner services in core funding this month. The introduction of fee caps is an important step towards the reduction of parental fees to €200 per month over the lifetime of the Government. While the maximum fee caps were introduced for new services last year, they now cover all services that are in core funding. In addition, the new fee caps are set at a lower level than before. The maximum fee for a full-day place of between 40 and 50 hours per week is €295 per week before Department subsidies under the national childcare scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted.”
“I thank the Deputy for her continued engagement on these matters. As she is aware, the programme for Government commits to "undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system". Given the need to make progress as soon as possible while also allowing time for a broad consultation process, I intend to publish the action plan in two phases. This autumn I will publish phase 1 of the action plan, which will be short-term actions for 2026 and which will reflect the budget made available through the Estimates process for 2026. I will publish phase 2 actions after completion of the consultation process, which the Deputy referred to. That consultation process will commence in the coming months.”
“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 undertake an audit of respite services across the country, which will also be very helpful and allow us to clearly identify where there is a particular dearth of service. That will be quite significant to us. I do not underestimate the value of respite. It gives families an opportunity for a break but it is also very good for the service user as well. It is a different environment and provides other opportunities. It is very much a focus.”
“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 sessions, but I absolutely accept it is not enough. Respite is a key priority for the HSE and for the Government and over the course of the Government's life there has been significant investment. For example, the action plan for disability services 2024 to 2026 proposes to increase the level of disability respite provision by around a third. It proposes to do that through a mix of provision of alternative respite options.”
“The Department is working with the HSE and service providers to increase provision, but also through the exploration of alternative forms of respite, such as home sharing and after-school respite. Respite sessions for people with disabilities have increased progressively over the last few years. In 2025, the HSE is on course to deliver 164,059 respite nights to 7,460 people and 65,151 respite day-only sessions.”
“The programme for Government contains a number of relevant commitments including addressing concerns in relation to financial supports for family carers and progressively increasing funding for respite services, including the home support emergency respite scheme, which is funded by the Department of Health. These commitments will be progressed over the lifetime of the Government. Respite is part of the continuum of HSE-funded supports for people with disabilities and their families and typically consists of short breaks for service users and their carers. Respite services play a crucial role in preventing carer burnout, help to prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserve the family unit and support family stability. Currently, the demand for respite is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond.”
“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 carers. The Government and the HSE are aware of the importance of respite service provision for the families of both children and adults with disabilities, and the vital work done by family carers, as well as the impact that caring can have on carers' physical and mental health.”
“That is one of the key reasons I am chairing this interdepartmental group to see how we can best harness the information that sometimes exists almost in silos. We need to have more joined-up thinking in relation to it. I thank the Deputy for her personal engagement and support on it also.”
“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% uptake of that, so it is an ideal opportunity to harness that information and put it to very positive use. We are currently looking at the manner and means of doing that. Obviously, there are other Departments involved. The Deputy referenced public health checks for children as well as the Department of Social Protection because of the financial supports that are provided or whatever the case might be.”
“We will be specifically seeking methods and means to ensure we can identify ways of enhancing check-ins on young children right across the system on an ongoing basis.”
“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 child protection issues, and we need to be cognisant of that. This will be a very worthwhile well-being check. I referenced it earlier, but tomorrow I will be chairing a meeting of the children first interdepartmental group. That includes Departments that have various engagements with children at different times.”
“It will seek to provide that assurance in relation to children whose cases were closed during the pandemic and I am committed to providing all necessary resources to support the work. It is a distinct and separate process from both the national review panel’s investigation and Tusla’s internal rapid review, which are focused specifically on the tragic case in Donabate. Tomorrow, I will also be chairing a meeting of the children first departmental group with the aim of identifying ways of enhancing check-ins on young children across the system.”
“The steering group is expected to include representatives from relevant Departments, the HSE, Tusla, the community and voluntary sector, and independent social work professionals. Under the chair’s leadership, the steering group will agree on terms of reference and a robust methodology for Tusla’s well-being check. Tusla will commit all necessary resources to conducting the check in line with those agreed parameters. While the detailed timeline will be shaped by the methodology, I will emphasise the importance of completing this work as soon as practicable, without compromising its thoroughness or integrity. Tusla's well-being check review is a proactive measure to provide assurance about the welfare of vulnerable children.”
“Separately and on a broader policy level, I have asked Tusla to conduct a wider well-being check of cases closed to child protection services during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, specifically where there was no further contact with the child since. This is a proactive measure to provide assurances about the welfare of vulnerable children, strengthen our systems and learn from the unique challenges of that period. I am pleased to confirm, as the Deputy may be aware, that this check will be independently chaired by Ms Tanya Ward. I made that announcement today. Ms Ward is the chief executive of the Children's Rights Alliance. A steering group will also oversee Tusla’s well-being check and the final composition of the steering group will be decided in consultation with the independent chair.”
“The national review panel has an independent chair and operates with full independence, including its own legal advice, to ensure its findings are objective and factual. Tusla has also initiated an internal rapid review of its own engagement with the family in this case and I understand Tusla expects to finalise this review in the coming days. In accordance with standard practice, especially given the highly sensitive nature of the personal information involved and the ongoing Garda investigation, internal reviews are not published. However, when the Tusla rapid review is completed, it will be forwarded to the Department and the national review panel. The internal rapid review will assist the national review panel in its work and the Department will be engaging with Tusla on the findings.”
“The Department was notified by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, of this case on 1 September, in full accordance with established protocols. Since then, the Department and I have maintained close and ongoing contact with the agency. As the Deputy will be aware, this case is the subject of an active and ongoing investigation by An Garda Síochána. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment on any specific details that could, even inadvertently, prejudice that vital investigation. However, I can inform the Deputy that I have requested the independent national review panel to prioritise a review of this case. This national review panel will examine the nature and extent of any engagement the child and his family had with all relevant State services, including health, social, and educational services.”
“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 acknowledge it is a matter of deepest concern to me and to the Government. I was saddened when we learned the remains of a young child, presumed to be Daniel Aruebose, had been found in north Dublin. We all recognise the death of a child is heartbreaking and the Government extends our sincere sympathies.”
“This is in conjunction with the dedicated unit within the Department of the Taoiseach, the Committee on Disability Matters and, of course, the implementation groups. This is where the accountability will be, ultimately through an Taoiseach meeting every six months for updates, reports and progress. The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 can be a game-changer for disabled people in this country. I look forward to working with each one of you in this Chamber and, indeed, everyone outside of this Chamber, to make sure it does what it sets out to do: equal voices, equal actions, equal futures.”
“Not differently, not better and not worse but the same as everyone else - equal voices, equal actions, equal futures. Time and again, people with disabilities have shared with me their strong view of “nothing about us without us.” How right they are. People with disabilities have been at the heart of developing this strategy. They have carved and shaped every aspect of this strategy. That is a first in this country and it is an important first. I am determined that not just should they carve out the strategy, but that people with disabilities should be at the heart of its implementation. As a consequence, people with disabilities will sit on the various implementation groups for the strategy. That is as it should be. The Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, will also chair the delivery committee, which will report to him every six months.”
“By 2030, disabled people must be able to move freely and confidently, whether by bus, train, car or foot, in environments designed with inclusion in mind and policy will be shaped in full consultation with disabled people themselves. As a country, as a republic and as a society, we must do better for people with disabilities. Tá sé thar am dúinn dul i ngleic leis na deacrachtaí agus na dúshláin a bhaineann le míchumas. Tugann an straitéis náisiúnta um chearta an duine do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas an deis dúinn tús nua a chur chun cinn. Guthanna comhionanna, gníomhartha comhionanna, todhchaí chomhionann; equal voices, equal actions, equal futures - this is the motto chosen by disabled people themselves for this new strategy. Their message is clear: they want to be treated the same as everybody else.”
“That means better access to housing, support services and opportunities for engagement in culture, sport and civic life. Pillar 4, well-being and health, will improve access to inclusive, integrated health services from early intervention to mental health supports to health promotion. This goal is clear: better outcomes, higher quality of life, and services that empower disabled people to live fully and to live well. The final pillar, transport and mobility, is about one of the most critical enablers of independence, namely, mobility. According to the 2022 census, difficulties with transport and leisure participation are the most common challenges faced by disabled people. We will eliminate those barriers.”
“By 2030, we want to see significantly improved access, greater transition supports across all education levels and, ultimately, higher rates of achievement for disabled learners. Pillar 2 is employment. This is about closing the disability employment gap decisively. We are committed to removing systemic barriers and creating real, sustainable opportunities for disabled people to earn, to contribute and to thrive in the workforce. The next area identified in the strategy is pillar 3, independent living and active participation in society This puts independence, choice and autonomy at the centre of policy. Disabled people must have the right and the means to live where and how they choose, to participate fully in their communities and to lead lives of their own making.”