Minister appoints Ms. Koulla Yiasouma as the Chair of the Young Ireland Advisory Council

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Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley TD, has announced the appointment of Ms. Koulla Yiasouma to chair the Young Ireland Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is a key part of the governance of Young Ireland, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People.

Koulla Yiasouma is an established leader in the area of children’s rights and youth justice. She served as the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People from 2015 to 2023, working to safeguard the rights and best interests of children.

Ms. Yiasouma is the former Director of Include Youth, a rights-based organisation working with young people involved in the criminal justice and care systems in Northern Ireland. She is the Chair of the Board of Management of the Oberstown Children’s Detention Campus.

Ms. Yiasouma will replace Ian Power as Chair, who stepped down to take up a new role earlier this year.

Announcing the appointment, Minister Foley said:

“I am delighted to appoint Koulla Yiasouma to this important role. The actions set out for Government in Young Ireland pave the way towards improving the lives of children and young people; I know that Koulla’s guidance and experience will help to ensure an emphasis on children’s rights in the implementation of policies that affect them. I would also like to thank Mr. Ian Power for his work with the Advisory Council.”

Information about children’s rights, Young Ireland, and the Young Ireland Advisory Council can be found here: www.gov.ie/YoungIreland.

Notes

Young Ireland: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People provides a platform to realise the rights of children and young people in Ireland, so that all partners can work effectively together to ensure children and young people can thrive. Young Ireland’s governance structures provide a forum for stakeholder engagement, drive implementation of existing policy commitments, and ensure accountability in the development of further policies impacting children and young people.

The Young Ireland Advisory Council enables the community and voluntary sector, as well as academics and other experts, to advise on and support the implementation of Young Ireland. The members of the Advisory Council have varied expertise in the key issues facing children and young people today, with an initial focus on the Spotlight areas of disability.

Number of early learning and childcare services located on school premises at all-time high

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From: Department of Children, Disability and Equality

  • Published on: 11 August 2025
  • Last updated on: 11 August 2025

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley has welcomed the growth in the proportion of early learning and childcare services located on school premises which has reached an all-time high.

In the 2021/22 programme year, 15.9% of early learning and childcare services were located on school premises, this increased to 16.8% in the 2022/23 programme year and 19.2% in the 2023/24 programme year.

The proportion of early learning and childcare services located on school premises has further increased to 22.5% in the current 2024/25 programme year.

This equates to 1,084 services of the 4,816 early learning and childcare services in contract with the Department for the 2024/25 programme year.

It means that nearly one in four of early learning and childcare services are now located on school premises.

This is reflective of an overall expansion of the early learning and childcare sector, with enrolments of children in services increasing by 19% from an estimated 197,285 in 2022 to 234,597 last year.

Minister Foley today welcomed the data which shows that supply of early learning and childcare is increasing, both in schools and in the wider community.

“I particularly welcome the growth in the number of services operating in school buildings. This supports availability of places in a convenient location for parents.

I would like to thank all the schools who have responded so positively to the updated Procedures on the use of School Buildings and School Sports Facilities outside of School Hours which guarantee that any income from after-school use of their facilities will not affect their State grants, capitation fees or any other form of departmental funding.”

The Programme for Government sets out the ambition to work with schools to host before and after-school childcare in school buildings. There is also a commitment to develop State-led early learning and childcare facilities in tandem with the school building programme.

I look forward to working with colleagues across Government to advance these commitments, which will improve choice and convenience for parents, and maximise the potential of school sites.”

There has been a notable rise in the use of school buildings for school-age childcare-only services. Most of this is understood to be for breakfast clubs and after-school clubs.

Last year, in her role as Minister for Education, Minister Foley published Procedures on the use of School Buildings and School Sports Facilities outside of School Hours to encourage more schools to open up their facilities for early learning and childcare and other community purposes when not required by the school.

There are now 565 school-age childcare-only services located on school premises which represents almost two thirds (65%) of the 869 school-age childcare only services in operation.

Around 261 new school-age childcare services were registered with Tusla in 2024, leading to a net increase of 225 new school-age childcare services in one year alone. At the end of last year, there were a total of 2,724 school age services on the Tusla register of early years services which are located both on school premises and in the wider community.

The rise in the availability of school-aged childcare services, particularly after-school clubs, has led to a 56 per cent increase in children enrolled in these services over the past two years. The number of children enrolled is up from an estimated 50,847 children in 2022 to 79,183 last year.

The potential for development of State-led facilities in tandem with the school building programme will be considered as part of the wider capital plans to develop State-led services. The Programme for Government commits for the first time to provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned early learning and childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists.

State ownership of facilities is a very substantial and significant development and offers the potential for much greater scope to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand.

The overall approach to ensure there are appropriate levels of high-quality early learning and childcare places for families will be advanced in the Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system that Government is committed to publishing.

Notes

Data on the number of children enrolled in early learning and childcare services is compiled each year by Pobal as part of the Early Years Sector Profile.

The Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey is the primary data source on the early learning and childcare sector.

It is developed and administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE). All services who are contracted to deliver at least one DCDE funded programme/scheme (that is, ECCE, NCS, CCSP) are invited to take part in the survey.

The survey response rate in recent years ranged from 82 to 85 per cent of providers, so it can be used to accurately estimate what percentage of services are located on school premises. It is more difficult to get definitive figures on the total number of individual services, given that a small percentage of services that did not complete the survey. However, new administrative data for the current 2024/2025 programme year shows that the 22.5 per cent of early learning and childcare services equates to 1,084 services out of 4,816 services in contract with the Department for the 2024/25 programme year.

The survey, which has been running for 21 years, plays a central role in informing policy development, assessing the impact of policy change and provides a comprehensive national analysis of early learning and childcare services throughout Ireland.

Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity section of the website provides information on enrolments and vacancies on services that responded to the survey as well as estimated figures for the overall sector.

Minister Norma Foley Announces €1.5 Million in Annual Funding for Community-Based Counselling Services Supporting Children and Families

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The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley TD, today announced €1.5 million in annual funding for community-based counselling services. In 2025, this funding will benefit 73 community and voluntary organisations delivering essential counselling and therapeutic supports to children and families.

This funding provides community-based counselling, psychotherapy, and a range of therapeutic interventions such as play therapy, creative arts therapy, bereavement support, and systemic family therapy.

This funding has been sourced in recent years from the Dormant Accounts Fund, but in a significant development, this funding has now been regularised and will be delivered from the annual budget of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

Minister Foley stated:

“This funding will help children and young people to get timely and effective access to counselling services in their own communities. These services are deeply responsive to local needs. They play a vital role in delivering therapy for children and young people and their families when they are most needed.”

The €1.5 million yearly investment will enable these services to:

  • Increase counselling and therapeutic capacity;
  • Reduce waiting lists for children and young people;
  • Provide supports to those who may otherwise be unable to access services due to cost or location;
  • Embed a more sustainable response to the growing demand for child and adolescent therapeutic support.

The decision to regularise funding for these services was informed by a detailed survey, completed by organisations who had previously received funding through the Dormant Accounts Fund, on the outcomes and impact of their funded services. Tusla also engaged closely with its area offices to assess need and guide the allocation of funding on a targeted, evidence-informed basis.

Minister Foley said:

“This funding reflects the government’s recognition of the critical work being done every day by local community-based services. I am proud to support their work and delighted that this investment will now be part of the mainstream provision through Tusla.”

Tusla’s continued collaboration with the funded organisations will ensure accountability, quality, and ongoing responsiveness to emerging needs in communities across Ireland.

Minister Foley welcomes the additional investment for disability services and early childhood education in the new National Development Plan

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The allocation for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality in the National Development Plan (NDP) has increased to almost €800 million.

Under the previous NDP, some €255 million was allocated to the Department over the period 2021 to 2025 but this has now risen to €795 million in the new NDP from 2026 to 2030.

The increased funding will be used to provide additional early learning and childcare places, more disability services for those with complex needs, capital investment for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and investment in playgrounds.

Another major initiative to be progressed under the NDP is the National Centre for Research and Remembrance.

Welcoming the announcement, Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, commented:

“I welcome the additional investment for disability services and early childhood education in the new National Development Plan. It also provides funding for a range of other important initiatives including the National Centre for Research and Remembrance and continuing development of the Oberstown Detention Centre.

It also contains increases in capital spending projects for disabled people with complex needs from around €77 million over the last five years to a capital allocation of €278 million between 2026 and 2030 – an increase of over 250 per cent.

There are also substantial increases in the NDP more broadly for new housing development and new transport projects for example – which will assist disabled people as well.

This is a sign of this government’s commitment to deliver a step change in services for disabled people and to deliver real value for money for taxpayers with this substantial investment.”

This government has been clear that a cross-departmental approach is being taken to deliver the step change required in disability services. In this respect, itis important to note the NDP contains significant increases in funding for other government departments which also play a key role in improving the lives of disabled people. This includes record allocations for the Department of Housing, which provides housing for people with Disabilities, the Department of Transport which provides transport for people with disabilities and the Department of Education which funds the special education budget in schools.

Minister of State for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton added:

“Government is committed to significantly investing in services for children, young people and adults with disabilities, and key to this is ensuring that our day services, respite and residential facilities are of high quality and are suitable for all those who need them.

The physical environment is so important, and there has been historic under-investment in this area. The funding provided under the new National Development Plan will allow us to develop and deliver a pipeline of projects across the country, which will make an enormous difference to those with disabilities and their families.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION BELOW RELATING TO GARDA VETTING FOR ALL ELC/SAC SERVICES

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Garda Vetting is a legal requirement for all people working with children and vulnerable adults, under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012-2016 including staff of Early Learning and Care and School Age Services. 

Garda vetting for each staff member must be renewed every three years. It is a breach of regulation for staff to continue working with children where their vetting has expired.

There is a new Garda Vetting process in place for ELC/SAC services since 1st February 2025. The following now applies:

  • TUSLA manage Garda Vetting services for registered providers, including childminders, as well as Chairpersons of Boards of Management (where they are the registered provider) and board members who have access to children.
  • Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) manage Garda Vetting services for all employees in ELC and SAC services.
  • Barnardos no longer provide vetting services.

TUSLA Vetting

In order to apply for vetting through TUSLA you must create a new account on the Tusla Garda Vetting Portal. This is a separate portal account to that used for your TUSLA Renewal of Registration and can be accessed here: Tusla Portal

You can apply for Garda Vetting through TUSLA the following persons only:

  • Registered Providers,

·                  Heads of Boards of management for childcare services where the person is the Registered Provider,

·                  Board members who have access to children in the service

ECI Vetting

If you have used Barnardos to access vetting in the past, will need to apply for a GNVB number in order to access vetting for employees through ECI.  This needs to be done before making an application for vetting through ECI and can take up to 6 to 10 weeks. This needs to be taken into account when reviewing staff vetting expiry dates.

In addition, if an applicant has lived outside of the Republic of Ireland/Northern Ireland in an EU country or the UK, their Garda Vetting application will now take longer:

  • Up to 10 additional working days for EU countries
  • Up to 20 additional working days for the UK

This also needs to be taken into account when reviewing staff vetting expiry dates.

The TUSLA Registration Renewal Process requires submission of in-date Garda Vetting for the Registered Provider and the Person in Charge (if different). Services should review their Garda Vetting date as soon as possible to ascertain if up-dated vetting is required prior to Registration Renewal. Current timelines for vetting should be considered and updated vetting should be sourced as soon as possible.

REMEMBER – You must make a registration renewal application AT LEAST 2 MONTHS before the expiry of your current registration date. If your registration renewal date is 01/01/2026, you are required to submit your registration renewal application by the 31st of October 2025 and will require up to date Garda Vetting to do so. 

Services can complete Registration Renewal any time up to 6 months prior to expiry date. Once Garda Vetting is up to date at the time of submission of Registration Renewal application it will be accepted. We encourage you to make the application to renew registration as soon as possible.

For further information:

https://www.tusla.ie/early-years-inspectorate/garda-vetting-applications/

Garda Vetting Applications From 1st February 2025 commenced providing the Garda Vetting Application Service for anyone who is a Registered Provider of an early years service (under part VIIA of the Child Care Act 1991, as amended) or anyone who is planning to submit an application to become a Registered Provider Who is included? Registered Providers of pre-school services Registered Providers …

www.tusla.ie

https://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/garda-vetting/

Garda Vetting is a legal requirement for all people working with children and vulnerable adults, under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012-2016. The Garda Vetting process must be completed before an employee commences work in an Early Learning and Care or School Age Care setting. Before applying for Garda Vetting Have Service Provider membership or Garda …

www.earlychildhoodireland.ie

 

Keeping children safe and comfortable indoors and outdoors in all weathers

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Tusla have published an updated guidance document- Keeping children safe and comfortable indoors and outdoors in all weathers

The document is designed to help childcare providers and staff protect children during all types of weather by offering practical advice on clothing, hydration, safe play, and sleep. It supports compliance with regulations and includes a checklist to help plan for weather-related risks, ensuring children stay safe, comfortable, and well cared for year-round.

Learner Fund Graduate and Childminder Bursary 2025

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The Learner Fund Bursary will open for applications for Graduates and Childminders in autumn 2025.

This year, changes to eligibility and selection criteria of the Learner Fund Bursary will be introduced to align the scheme rules with those of the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund (NSLF).

The Learner Fund Bursary amount for 2025 will remain set at €1000 however where the demand for Learner Fund exceeds funding allocations successful applicants will be selected based on the new eligibility and selections criteria.

Since its inception in 2024, the pilot NSLF scheme has offered financial support to approximately 700 early years educators.  In view of the success of the pilot NSLF, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) now intends to wind down the Learner Fund Bursary by 2026.

The rules have been amended to reflect an alignment with the NSLF scheme in relation to the eligibility criteria (and the selection criteria in case of excess demand).

For 2025, the Learner Fund Graduate Bursary will be open to early years educators who fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

–    have graduated in 2024 or 2025 only;

–    have graduated with a Qualifications Advisory Board (QAB) approved Early Learning and Care Degree Programme at Level 7 or 8 only.

If demand for Learner Fund Graduate Bursary Fund exceeds the available allocation in 2025, applicants will be selected based on criteria set out in the rules of the scheme.

For 2025, the Learner Fund Childminder Bursary will be open to childminders who fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

–    have graduated in 2024 or 2025 only;

–    have graduated with Level 5, or 6 award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or Level 7 or 8 on the Qualifications Advisory Board (QAB) list of approved Early Learning and Care Degree Programmes.

–    Applicants must currently be a Tusla registered Childminding Service.

The local City/County Childcare Committees (CCC) will process applications for Learner Fund Bursaries for appraisal by the DCDE.

The Learner Fund Graduate Bursary and the Learner Fund Childminder Bursary will open for applications on 15 September 2025 and close on 17 October 2025.

Additional Links:

The list of  QAB approved Level 7 and Level 8 courses referred to above can be viewed at the attached link:  list-of-approved-programmes-for-adherence-to-the-professional-award-criteria-and-guide.pdf.

For more information, including the rules for the above schemes, please visit the following page on the new Nurturing Skills website: Learner Fund Graduate and Childminder Bursary 2025 | Nurturing Skills  

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality welcomes UN progress report on Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Ireland

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Minister for Children, Disability and Equality welcomes UN progress report on Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Ireland

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley has welcomed the publication today by the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) of their concluding observations on the periodic report of Ireland.

Minister Foley said:

“Ireland is firm in our commitment to international law and to multilateralism. We recognise the importance of having the UN Treaty Bodies, like CEDAW, hold States to account and greatly value the constructive engagement that takes place as result.

“We welcome the Committee’s acknowledgment of the progress achieved in Ireland on gender equality since our previous CEDAW review in 2017 and acknowledge that more needs to be done.”

The Committee’s conclusions, published today, note a number of positive legislative measures, including the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, which provides paid leave for victims of domestic violence, the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 bringing a greater focus to the wage gaps between men and women as well as prompting employers to take action, and policy efforts such as the National Strategy for Women and Girls, which aimed to promote women’s leadership and address systemic barriers.

Ireland also recognises that the CEDAW Committee highlighted significant areas where work still needs to be done to ensure gender equality in Ireland. These recommendations will be considered and worked upon across Government in the months ahead.

Ireland signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1985. Through this Convention, Ireland reaffirmed our commitment to achieving equality between men and women in Ireland.

Ireland also committed to having its record under the Convention reviewed periodically by the UN’s CEDAW Committee of international experts. Over the past year, Ireland has actively engaged with the CEDAW Committee on this eight periodic review and our first since 2017.

A State delegation, led by Minister of State Colm Brophy, met the CEDAW Committee in Geneva on 20 June 2025 to answer additional questions raised by the UN Committee members.

The Department of Children, Disability and Equality will convene a meeting with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and with Civil Society organisations in the Autumn to discuss the CEDAW Committee’s recommendations.

Minister Foley and Minister of State Brophy would like to thank the CEDAW Committee for their detailed work in examining the issues faced by women and girls in Ireland and express thanks to the CEDAW Committee Chair, Nahla Haidar, and to Ireland’s State Rapporteur, Jelena Pia Comella.

Full details of the UN CEDAW Committee’s concluding observations on Ireland’s report are available at the link below.

Read the report

Minister for Children Disability and Equality Norma Foley announces €330,000 in funding to support Ireland’s Prevention and Early Intervention programmes for children and young people.

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Minister for Children Disability and Equality Norma Foley announces €330,000 in funding to support Ireland’s Prevention and Early Intervention programmes for children and young people.

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has today announced a €330,000 investment in new measures designed to strengthen prevention and early intervention services for children so every child and young person across Ireland experiencing disadvantage, adversity and trauma has access to timely support.

This funding represents a strategic investment in the futures of Ireland’s children. Children and young people growing up with disadvantage, trauma, or exclusion face barriers that can affect their health, learning, and future potential. But when support comes early and is built on strong evidence it can transform lives.

Grants of up to €30,000 will be made available to community and voluntary sector organisations working with children and young people through a prevention and early intervention approach.

This funding is made available through the What Works initiative, funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund, and reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that services for children are based on the best available data, research and innovation

Minister Foley said:

“I am delighted to announce this suite of measures which reflect our commitment to early intervention and innovation in children’s services. My department strives to continuously enhance the quality of prevention and early intervention services so every child and young person is given the best start in life.”

This funding will support:

  1. An invitation for applications to the Enhancing Quality Fund 2025, which support organisations to improve the monitoring, evaluation and analysis of their prevention and early intervention initiatives.
  2. An online series of webinars targeting commissioners, practitioners and anyone interested in applying evidence-based research to support the development of prevention and early intervention policy and services.
  3. Research funding to evaluate the development, piloting and implementing of a Prevention and Early Intervention model that has been designed to embed a prevention-oriented, child-centred mindset across professional disciplines working with children and families.

Notes

1. Enhancing Quality Fund 2025

The 2025 Enhancing Quality Fund aims to promote continuous improvement and innovation using a process of problem-solving in prevention and early intervention services for children and young people

Successful applicants will support the What Works initiative to build on the development of implementation structures and learning harnessed from over a decade of investment in prevention and early intervention in order to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

The fund is open to practitioners and service providers in not-for-profit organisations working with children, young people and their families and who have a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention.

These grants will support organisations to support the effective use of data in service provision for children and young people around Ireland.

Further information can be found at the following link: https://whatworks.gov.ie/enhancing-quality-fund-2025/

2. What Works/Foundations Online Prevention and Early Intervention Webinars

This series of four ninety-minute online interactive webinars is designed for commissioners, practitioners and anyone interested in applying evidence-based research and will be delivered by Foundations – the what works centre for children and families (UK).

Foundations developed the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub. The What Works Ireland Evidence Hub provides information about prevention and early intervention programmes that have been evaluated and shown to improve outcomes for children and young people.

These workshops will take place between July 2025 and October 2025.

For further details and to register please visit:

https://whatworks.gov.ie/prevention-and-early-intervention-webinars-2025/

11 July 2025: The value and purpose of different research designs for understanding

what works (Click here to register)

In this webinar we’ll be explaining why different kinds of research are needed to understand how interventions work, and why robust trials are needed to understand What Works. We’ll explore the advantages and limitations of different kinds of research evidence; the difference between evidence strength, evidence standards and evidence hierarchies; and why experimental evidence is typically prioritised for identifying ‘what works’.

19 September 2025: 10 Steps for Evaluation Success: Turning science-based theories into effective interventions (Click here to register)

In this webinar, we’ll discuss how evaluation can help improve the quality of interventions at each stage of their development and explain how the 10 steps map onto the Evidence Hub evidence standards. These steps include developing a theory of change, early stage and pilot evaluation, trials to find out what works, and scaling up.

3 October 2025: Improving the home learning environment (Click here to register)

What works to improve the home learning environment? In this webinar we’ll discuss several evidence-based factors including: the foundations of early learning, especially language learning; the role of parental scaffolding and the home environment; risks to children’s development; and how evidence-based interventions can effectively support children’s early learning at home, from birth to age 5.

17 October 2025: Effective parenting support (Click here to register)

What are effective ways to support parents, particularly those facing adversities? In this webinar we’ll discuss the kinds of complex adversities families may face, which may impact on children’s development and health; what we know about effective parenting interventions, before and after a child’s birth; and the kinds of positive outcomes which interventions can have on children’s development, parenting practice, and parental stress. We’ll also consider the need for equitable access to effective parenting interventions for families from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.

3. Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Research

Enabled by funding from the Tulsa Prevention Partnership and Family Support National Office via What Works, the Prevention and Early Intervention Network has spent the last 14 months developing a thematic learning module: The Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) module is designed to embed a prevention-oriented, child-centred mindset across professional disciplines working with children and families. The module consists of 10 learning units covering core themes such as trauma-informed practice, interagency collaboration, and children’s rights.

It is designed for flexible delivery (online, face-to-face, and hybrid) and targets a broad range of professionals including educators (early years, teachers and colleges), social care providers, public servants and clinicians, as well as third level students. The core objective of the PEI module is to raise awareness and enhance knowledge of the integral components of effective PEI approaches and practices, and their significant role in determining the trajectory of children’s lives.

What Works is providing €30,000 to evaluate the process of developing, piloting, and implementing the PEI module. It aims to ensure that the module is effective, evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of learners and stakeholders. In doing so it will examine the viability of the module as a cross-disciplinary resource. The focus will be on understanding what worked, what could be improved, and how to support broader adoption and sustainability and ultimately, explore the extent to which a thematic and focused PEI module has the potential to contribute to the overall PEI landscape in Ireland.

4. What Works

What Works, funded under Dormant Accounts, is an initiative designed by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. What Works aims to take a coordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality, primarily in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families. Four key strands have been identified to embed and enhance prevention and early intervention in children and young people’s policy, service provision and practice:

· Data

· Evidence

· Professional development and capacity building

· Quality

What Works funding supports research and pilots with regard to prevention and early intervention. Further information can be found on the What Works website: https://whatworks.gov.ie/

Since its inception, the What Works initiative, funded under Dormant Accounts, has supported evidence-based innovation to improve outcomes for children, young people and families across Ireland. What Works is designed to fund targeted pilot projects and research initiatives. What Works supports the testing of new approaches to prevention and early intervention while building a robust evidence base for possible future service developments.

The initiative places strong emphasis on research and evaluation as demonstrated by the three previous What Works funds:

  • Building Evidence
  • Sharing Knowledge
  • Learning Together and Digital Solutions

that supported organisations to collect and analyse data on What Works in practice. This research-focused approach supports services to be grounded in proven methodologies.

Previous funding recipients in 2023 included:

  • Belong To Youth Services, Youth Work Ireland – Tipperary, Barnardos and Jigsaw;

and in 2022 included:

  • Dochas Midwest Autism Support, Down Syndrome – Tipperary, PEIN, Doras Bui, Enable Ireland, National College of Ireland, Familibase and NCBI.

Through collaboration between statutory agencies and community partners, What Works supports the creation of a pipeline from innovation to potential mainstream implementation. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and evidence-based practice, the initiative ensures that promising approaches are properly tested, evaluated and scaled to benefit more children and families nationwide. This model represents a strategic investment in building Ireland’s capacity for effective, data-informed children’s services.

Minister Foley and Minister of State Naughton welcome the 2024 Annual Report of the Director of the Decision Support Service

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Minister Foley and Minister of State Naughton welcome the 2024 Annual Report of the Director of the Decision Support Service

Report outlines the significant level of activity of the Decision Support Service throughout 2024

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, and the Minister of State for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton, have welcomed the publishing of the second annual report of the Director of the Decision Support Service (DSS). The report has been published as part of the Annual Report of the Mental Health Commission.

The Decision Support Service is a statutory service within the Mental Health Commission, delivering the functions assigned to the Director under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. The commencement of the Act in April 2023 marked a milestone in Ireland, replacing the wards of court system with a new, progressive, rights based system of supported decision-making. The DSS is charged with implementing the progressive provisions of the Act, and with responding to the complex decision-making needs of people with capacity difficulties.

The DSS ultimately exists to promote the rights and interests of people who may need support with decision-making through a framework that emphasises the will and preference of each individual.

The annual report of the Director of the Decision Support Service sets out its activities throughout 2024 and highlights the significant work programme undertaken by the DSS in its second year of operation.

Some key activities highlighted in the report include:

  • an extensive public information campaign to promote public awareness and confidence and to ensure that as many organisations, services, families and individuals as possible are aware of the Act and the DSS.
  • the maintenance of an online portal which allows members of the public to create an account and access DSS services.
  • reviewing and registering all co-decision-making agreements, decision-making representation orders, and enduring powers of attorney in order to give them legal effect.
  • the maintenance of a dedicated website to provide information to people on the important services offered.
  • the establishment of a dedicated enduring power of attorney helpdesk to provide comprehensive support to those seeking to plan for a time in the future when they may have diminished decision-making capacity.
  • the operation of a dedicated Information Services Team which answers queries and provides information to the public on a wide range of matters relating to the Act and DSS services.
  • The commencement of their role as Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults.

Throughout 2024 the DSS received over 18,000 calls to its dedicated phoneline, managed almost to 8,000 email queries, and had over 19,500 unique visitors to its website each month. In addition, it received over 2,500 applications for decision support arrangements, registered 705 decision-making representation orders, 1,413 enduring powers of attorney, and supervised 1,047 decision supporters.

Speaking about the launch of the report, Minister Foley said:

‘The commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making Acts in 2023 and the establishment of the Decision Support Service signalled an important milestone for Ireland, introducing a new, progressive, rights-based system of supported decision-making. It has also been an important step in Ireland’s journey towards the progressive realisation of its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

People who lose capacity are entitled to support in making important decisions affecting their everyday lives, and the Decision Support Service facilitates that. I am pleased to see the increasing numbers of individuals engaging with the Decision Support Service and being enabled to put in place appropriate supports that are empowering and that enable them to retain the greatest amount of autonomy possible as they navigate diminished decision-making capacity.’

Minister of State for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton, further welcomed the report, and said:

‘I am delighted to see the publication of the 2024 annual report of the Director of the Decision Support Service, which demonstrates clearly the important role that they play in protecting and safeguarding the rights of many disabled people.

It is imperative that those facing difficulties in making decisions for themselves are supported to maintain their dignity and autonomy, and to have their wishes respected, and the Decision Support Service plays a crucial role in facilitating that.

I look forward to continuing to support the Decision Support Service as they continue in their role of promoting the rights and interests of people who may need support with decision-making’.

For anyone who wishes to find out more about the services offered by the DSS, information, including contact details, can be found on their website.

ENDS//

Note for Editors:

The Decision Support Service was established under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, amended by the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022, both of which commenced on 26th April 2023. The Acts introduced a new system of decision-making supports and the abolished the system of wardship.

The commencement of both Acts provided for key measures related to further compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Decision Support Service operates as a part of Mental Health Commission and the Director of the Decision Support Service has statutory responsibility for the operation of many of the provisions of Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act.

A copy of the 2024 annual report of the Decision Support Service can be found here.