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Extra.ie
4 days ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Norma Foley to introduce childcare fee cap for parents
The Minister for Children Norma Foley has said that she will be introducing a fee cap for childcare, saying that costs are 'far too high.' A new Ispos B&A Poll published by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality found that 49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school-age children found it easy to pay for childcare. Following the publication of the report, Minister Foley said that while there's been a 50% reduction in the cost of childcare, the cost is still 'far too high' along with some parents having a lack of accessibility. The Minister for Children Norma Foley has said that she will be introducing a fee cap for childcare, saying that costs are 'far too high.' Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire As a result, she has announced an ambitious plan to cap fees this September, and will be increasing the number of places of childcare; which she announced last week. 'Over the last number of years since we've brought in state funding directly to [childcare] providers, we've seen, on average, a 50% reduction in the cost of childcare,' Minister Foley told Claire Byrne. 'But it's still far too high. 'In terms of it still being too costly, come this September I will be introducing a fee cap, and that will particularly help parents who are paying particularly high fees for childcare. In terms of accessibility, I'm very conscious of that — so we've also given a commitment that we'll increase the number of places.' A new Ispos B&A Poll published by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality found that 49% of parents of pre-school age children and 53% of parents of school-age children found it easy to pay for childcare. Pic: Shutterstock 'Just last week, I announced funding of €25million which is providing 1,500 additional places. But we need to do much more,' Minister Foley continued. 'We've given a commitment that the state will intervene where there isn't a provision of service. 'I want to recognise that we do that alongside the private provision, we're committed over the next number of years between now and 2030, we envisage that 14,000 additional places will be required every year; we will make additional places available either through supporting private providers or the state intervening itself.' Minister Foley also spoke about staffing numbers and retaining numbers, adding that she's made €45million available 'so that there'll be an increase in wages for staff.' Minister Foley said that she hopes to increase the number of available places, as well as increasing wages for staff. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire 'I want to say that the Joint Labour Committee is independent of me,' she continued. 'But I want to say that I put €45million on the table, I've met with the membership of the Joint Labour Committee, I've made it very clear that I want every single last penny of that spent on wages. They deserve the uplift, we want professionals, we want the best of people caring for children. To do that, they need to be paid. 'It's about reducing costs for parents, and it's about ensuring that there are more places available, ensuring staff are paid proportionately and appropriately for the excellent work they do, and equally it's ensuring that there is enough money coming forward from government.' Following the publication of the Department's survey, Minister Foley said that while there were 'tangible improvements' surrounding childcare, the burden remains high for a lot of families. 'The National Childcare Scheme is currently supporting thousands of families to offset their childcare costs,' Minister Foley said in a statement. 'Moreover, the recent extension of regulation to paid, non-relative childminders is opening up of the National Childcare Scheme to an increasing number of childminders, enabling more parents to access State subsidies who were previously unable to do so. 'These developments to the National Childcare Scheme combined with fee management measures under Core Funding, have resulted in tangible improvements for many families. 'I do recognise however that the burden on some families remains high and some continue to face challenges in accessing places, particularly families with very young children. That is why the Programme for Government has made very ambition commitments in this policy area, which I am committed to delivering on. 'Results from the survey show awareness of supports under the National Childcare Scheme, while improving on recent years, remains low. An awareness raising campaign, led by my Department, is underway. 'As part of that campaign, my Department will be engaging with families at the 'Budding Bloomers' section of Bord Bia Bloom this weekend to discuss the supports available to help reduce the cost of childcare.'
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘Huge relief' to Limerick parents as crèche gets €750k in funding for exciting expansion
The funding for Banogue Community Crèche has been allocated through the Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare, which is managed by the Department of Children to help provide thousands of additional affordable childcare places across the country. The staff are hoping for a new building which will allow the crèche to expand its services and relieve long-standing pressure on their growing waiting lists while also supporting working families across a wide area. Speaking about the impact of the funding with the Irish Independent, Assistant Manager Niamh Power said the development will benefit not only Banogue but also surrounding communities. 'We offer places to families not just from Banogue, but from Charleville, Kilmallock, Bruree, and even Bruff,' she said. 'A lot of parents drop their kids off here on their way to work. This funding will make a big difference, especially for those who've been on our waiting lists. It's a big help to everyone in the community,' she said. The crèche currently employs 25 staff, including early years educators, administrators, and kitchen staff. It offers care from infancy to school-age, including an after-school programme and full meal provision for every child. The centre has seen rising demand in recent years, a trend Niamh attributes partly to growth in the nearby national school. 'As the school across the road has grown, the demand for childcare has grown alongside it. We've really seen the need for expansion,' she added. The new funding will allow the crèche to expand capacity, improve facilities, and continue offering early education and care from 7:30am to 6pm daily. 'It's all very exciting,' said Niamh, who has worked at the crèche for the past three years. 'The children, staff, and families will all benefit. It's a huge relief to local parents who want reliable, nearby care without having to travel far.'
Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Mother and baby home survivors to take High Court case over their exclusion from redress scheme
A group of 556 survivors of mother and baby homes are to take a landmark High Court case over their exclusion from the State redress scheme. The Department of Children approved a compensation scheme for survivors of the institutions last year, but the strict criteria means children who were in a home for less than six months are not eligible for a payment. The criteria also includes deductions to payments if an individual spent more than 180 days in a hospital, while some notoriously brutal institutions have been excluded from the scheme altogether. The exclusions have been widely criticised for failing to help up to 34,000 people who suffered in the institutions. A test case, to be heard at the High Court on July 21 and 22, will seek to include other homes that are currently outside the remit of the redress scheme. The survivors, who will be represented by the firm Coleman Legal, include: 345 survivors from eligible institutions who have been excluded from the scheme; 145 survivors from Temple Hill/St Patrick's Guild, which is not covered by the compensation scheme; 66 clients from St Joseph's home in Stamullen, which also falls outside the redress project. The €800m compensation package offered to survivors is the largest in the history of the State, but there has been a poor uptake to date. The latest figures from the Department of Children show 6,462 applications have been made, with 4,228 general and work-related payments processed so far. A further 1,840 enhanced medical card entitlements have been notified to the HSE, and 520 health support payments have been made. Solicitor Norman Spicer, from Coleman Legal, contacted the minister for children last November and again in recent weeks to try to get agreement on issues raised by the survivors but said the case was being 'fully defended by the State'. 'Among the concerns, principally, are the restrictions towards former child residents of these institutions. 'Namely, an arbitrary 180-day minimum residency requirement and the other being that many institutions which were not examined by the commission have been excluded entirely from the scheme. 'I previously wrote to the children's Oireachtas committee to highlight these concerns, and the committee roundly endorsed my recommendations to add Temple Hill/St Patrick's Guild, Westbank Orphanage, and the two Stamullen-based, St Clare's/St Joseph's institutions, to the list for redress. It beggars belief that the minister doesn't just add these institutions and remove the 180-day rule given that at this stage it is already clear that the number of eligible applicants is far below what had been projected, and the scheme is already several hundred million under budget. 'The matters are listed for trial on July 21 and 22 and will be heard together. These proceedings are being fully defended by the State. 'We again call on Minister Norma Foley to intervene and add these institutions to the list for redress and provide some measure of acknowledgement to the survivors who are still dealing with the legacy of these wretched institutions.' In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Children said: 'The department does not comment on matters that are the subject of legal proceedings. 'That said, the Chief State Solicitors Office represents the department in respect of these legal proceedings and correspondence is not ignored.' Read More Just over €65m paid out in mother and baby home redress scheme
Irish Examiner
21-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Former North Cork TB sanitorium for sale for €300k
A sprawling Cork former hospital complex that failed to sell when it first came to market for €350,000 five years ago has had the guide price slashed by €50,000 following a change of agency. Heatherside Hospital, set on more than 20 acres in the Ballyhoura Hills, near Buttevant, was built in 1909 as a sanitorium for tuberculosis (TB) patients at a time when death rates from the disease were spiking in Ireland. It later served as a 180-bed geriatric unit, as well as an overflow facility for the Cork Mental Hospital, before closing permanently in 2010. The complex first came to market at the end of 2020 and generated good interest, but was withdrawn after a short period. More recently, it was the site of protests after reports surfaced that the Government was considering using it to house international protection applicants. However, the move was ruled out last month after it was deemed 'not suitable' by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth. It's back on the market now for €300,000, less than the cost of an average country bungalow, and for that the buyer will get a collection of buildings with a combined floor area of approximately 5,081sq m (54,691sq ft) on a private level site of about 8.32ha (20.55ac). Its potential for development as an outdoor activity centre, hostel, or as a facility for the scouts or girl guides are among the possibilities put forward by selling agents Sherry FitzGerald. 'The property is situated in the Ballyhoura Hills, known for outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, and fishing,' said agent David McCarthy. 'Potential purchasers might include forestry businesses, outdoor activity operators, tourism entrepreneurs, or those looking to establish a spiritual, yoga, or religious retreat,' the agent added. Coillte owns land adjoining the site. However, it has so far not expressed interest. It falls under the stronger rural area zoning in the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028. The complex, in a secluded cul-de-sac setting about 9km north of Buttevant in the townland of Streamhill West, is 19km north of Mallow and 55km north of Cork City. The buildings include a two-storey hospital dating to 1909 and several ancillary structures, including a church and a house from the 1930s. While some buildings feature in the National Inventory of Buildings of Ireland, they are not listed as protected structures. They've fallen into considerable disrepair since the hospital closed permanently in 2010, and returning them to use would require substantial investment. From a design perspective, the former hospital is an interesting building. It is curved with various projections and numerous rooms opening at ground and first-floor level to terraces and balconies, as befitted a sanatorium, where fresh air and rest were considered the route to recovery for consumptive patients. In fact, the bracing Ballyhoura outdoor setting, reached at the end of a long avenue, was one of the reasons the site was selected for a sanitorium in the first place. It's isolation was another. Built after years of rampant TB, the need for the medical facility was recognised by the wife of the Earl of Aberdeen, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, after a trip abroad brought home to her how much higher the TB death rate was in Ireland compared to other countries. In 1910, the sanitary authorities of County Cork combined with Cork Corporation to establish Heatherside Sanitorium. Access to the site is through a gated entrance along its southern boundary. The property is just a 10- minute drive from the main N20 Cork-Limerick national road and 7km north of Doneraile and the popular Doneraile Wildlife Park. The complex was deemed surplus to HSE requirements in 2024, and licensed by the HSE to the Department of Integration. The department handed it back after deeming it unsuitable for asylum seeker accommodation. It's back on the market now and agents are seeking expressions of interest 'in the region of €300,000'. The property is for sale by tender and the deadline is noon on Thursday, July 3. DETAILS: Sherry FitzGerald Commercial T: 0214270099; E:
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman was killed in random Puyallup robbery. Now 2 teens have been sentenced
Two teenagers accused of being involved in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old woman in Puyallup during an apparently random robbery have pleaded guilty and were sentenced to about seven years and nine years in state custody. Ethan Quinn Byron Nordgren and Noah Maurice Loyd-Branch, both 19, each pleaded guilty May 15 to first-degree manslaughter for the Feb. 25, 2024 killing of Gianna Stone. Loyd-Branch additionally pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Nordgren was suspected of driving Loyd-Branch and a third defendant, Dae'Meion Carmello Purdy, to and from Sam Peach Park where Stone was killed. Stone was with other people in a BMW at the park when the defendants walked up to the vehicle and pulled out handguns, according to charging documents. They demanded the group's property, and as the driver drove off, shots were fired. Court documents described Loyd-Branch and Purdy as the ones who fired the gunshots. One bullet went through the back of the BMW and struck Stone in the head. Purdy's case remains pending with a next court date in July. Stone's mother spoke during the defendants' sentencing hearing May 15 in Pierce County Superior Court. KING 5 reported that the mother said the defendants were her definition of 'pure evil.' Judge Joseph Evans handed down the defendants' punishments. Nordgren received a mid-range sentence of 7 years, eight months. Loyd-Branch's sentence was at the high end of the standard sentencing range, nine years, six months. According to court records, neither had prior criminal convictions. According to court records, the defendants will serve their time in juvenile rehabilitation in the custody of the Department of Children, Youth and Families. If they remain there at age 25, they would transfer to the Department of Corrections. Man accused of killing friend in car in Pierce County sentenced to prison A 21-year man suspected of fatally shooting his friend in a vehicle in Parkland pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced Friday to five years in prison. Julian Lafayette Hart Padilla pleaded guilty to the May 21, 2022 homicide of An'Jai Whitted, 21. According to court records, the victim was shot while in a vehicle outside an apartment complex in the 11300 block of 10th Avenue Court East. In a victim-impact statement submitted to the court, Whitted's mother said Hart Padilla taking her son's life was the beginning of the darkest time of her life. 'In one senseless moment, you shattered everything,' the mother wrote. 'His absence is a daily ache that no words can fully express. I wake up every day to a world that no longer feels whole, haunted by the silence where his laughter and smile used to be.' Whitted was driven to St. Clare's Hospital in a private vehicle after the shooting. According to court documents, he underwent surgery there and died from his injuries. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office determined he died of a gunshot wound to the back. At the hospital, deputies spoke to a friend of Whitted who reported he, Whitted and their friends were hanging out in an apartment when Whitted decided to leave. The friend said he fell asleep and woke up to someone saying Whitted had been shot. Detectives found a single expended shell casing in a Chevy Camaro in which the victim was shot. They determined Whitted was sitting in the front passenger seat. A Glock and a Tokarev semiautomatic pistol were found in the car, and detectives alleged the Tokarev belonged to Hart Padilla after finding photos of him with the gun on social media. Judge Susan Adams sentenced Hart Padilla, giving him a punishment at the middle of the standard sentencing range. According to court records, the defendant had no prior criminal convictions.
