Norma Foley

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_suffix = TD

| image = Norma Foley, April 2024 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Foley in 2024

| office = Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

| taoiseach = {{ubl|Micheál Martin}}

| term_start = 23 January 2025

| term_end =

| predecessor = Roderic O'Gorman

| successor =

| office1 = Minister for Education

| taoiseach1 = {{ubl|Micheál Martin|Leo Varadkar|Simon Harris}}

| term_start1 = 27 June 2020

| term_end1 = 23 January 2025

| predecessor1 = Joe McHugh

| successor1 = Helen McEntee

| office2 = Teachta Dála

| term_start2 = February 2020

| term_end2 =

| constituency2 = Kerry

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1970}}

| birth_place = Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Fianna Fáil

| spouse = {{marriage|Denis Maguire|2005}}

| father = Denis Foley

| alma_mater = University College Cork

}}

Norma Foley (born 1970){{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/12/01/kerry-norma-foley-ff/ |title=Kerry: Norma Foley (FF)|work=The Irish Times|date=1 December 2024|access-date=28 December 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishlifeandlore.com/product/norma-foley-b-1970/|title=Norma Foley (b. 1970) - Irish Life and Lore|website=irishlifeandlore.com|date=February 2017|access-date=27 July 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728005912/https://www.irishlifeandlore.com/product/norma-foley-b-1970/|url-status=live}} is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Children, Disability and Equality since January 2025. She previously served as Minister for Education from 2020 to 2025. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Kerry since 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Norma-Foley.D.2020-02-08/|title=Norma Foley|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=15 February 2020|archive-date=24 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624014728/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Norma-Foley.D.2020-02-08/|url-status=live}}

Local politics

Foley was previously a member of Kerry County Council for the Tralee local electoral area, serving from 1994 until her election to the Dáil in 2020. She also served as a member of Tralee Urban District Council until its abolition in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=425|title=Norma Foley|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=15 January 2025}}

Dáil Éireann

After failing in her bid to secure a nomination as a general election candidate in Kerry North in 2002, Foley was added to the Fianna Fáil ticket as Tom McEllistrim's running mate in the same constituency in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/foley-fails-to-win-kerry-north-nomination-1.314668|title=Foley fails to win Kerry North nomination|publisher=Irish Times|date=25 June 2001|access-date=27 June 2020|first=Anne|last=Lucey|archive-date=29 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629004808/https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3AehLypz8i6pYJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Ffoley-fails-to-win-kerry-north-nomination-1.314668+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie|url-status=live}} She polled 4,937 first preference votes and finished fifth overall in the three-seat constituency after being eliminated on the third count.{{fact|date=August 2024}}

Foley again failed in her bid to secure a nomination as a general election candidate in 2016, but was a late addition to the ticket as a third Fianna Fáil candidate in the Kerry constituency in advance of the 2020 general election.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ffs-norma-foley-follows-her-dad-with-dail-bid-30893720.html|title=FF's Norma Foley follows her dad with Dail bid|publisher=Irish Independent|date=8 January 2015|access-date=27 June 2020|first=Majella|last=O'Sullivan|archive-date=27 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627211506/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ffs-norma-foley-follows-her-dad-with-dail-bid-30893720.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/norma-foley-added-to-fianna-fail-ticket-in-kerry-971029.html|title=Norma Foley added to Fianna Fáil ticket in Kerry|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=17 December 2019|access-date=27 June 2020|first=Anne|last=Lucey|archive-date=29 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629202114/https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/norma-foley-added-to-fianna-fail-ticket-in-kerry-971029.html|url-status=live}} She polled 6,856 first preference votes and secured the fifth and final seat at the expense of her party colleague John Brassil on the eighth count.{{cite web|url=http://traleetoday.ie/its-all-over-in-kerry-as-norma-foley-takes-fifth-and-final-seat/|title=It's all over in Kerry as Norma Foley takes fifth and final seat|publisher=Tralee Today|date=10 February 2020|access-date=27 June 2020|first=Dermot|last=Crean|archive-date=29 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629032733/http://traleetoday.ie/its-all-over-in-kerry-as-norma-foley-takes-fifth-and-final-seat/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/kerry-results-danny-healy-rae-retains-seat-on-sixth-count-1.4165274 |title=Kerry results: Danny Healy-Rae retains seat on sixth count |first=Neil |last=Michael |date=10 February 2020 |orig-date=9 February 2020 |newspaper=Irish Times |location=Dublin |access-date=6 June 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210606210701/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/kerry-results-danny-healy-rae-retains-seat-on-sixth-count-1.4165274 |archive-date=6 June 2021 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/election2020/kerry |title=Election 2020: Kerry |date=10 February 2020 |newspaper=Irish Times |location=Dublin |access-date=6 June 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210606212541/https://www.irishtimes.com/election2020/kerry |archive-date=6 June 2021 }} Johnnie Wall was co-opted to Foley's seat on Kerry County Council following her election to the Dáil. On her first day in the Dáil, Foley proposed her party leader Micheál Martin in his successful bid to become Taoiseach.

At the 2024 general election, Foley was re-elected to the Dáil.

=Minister for Education=

Foley was appointed Minister for Education in June 2020 following the formation of a coalition government, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/norma-foley-becomes-minister-for-education-and-helen-mcentee-minister-for-justice-1.4290632?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fnorma-foley-to-be-minister-for-education-with-helen-mcentee-minister-for-justice-1.4290632|title=Norma Foley becomes Minister for Education and Helen McEntee Minister for Justice|publisher=Tralee Today|date=27 June 2020|access-date=27 June 2020|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923095023/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sweeping-changes-as-new-cabinet-unveiled-1.4290632?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fnorma-foley-to-be-minister-for-education-with-helen-mcentee-minister-for-justice-1.4290632|url-status=live}} Her tenure to date has resulted in several gaffes, most prominently involving the COVID-19 impact on education and state examinations.{{cite news|url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/governments-move-to-press-ahead-with-traditional-leaving-cert-exams-criticised-1252029.html|title=Government criticised over decision to go ahead with Leaving Cert exams|first=Cate|last=McCurry|date=1 February 2022|access-date=21 December 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/norma-foley-heckled-at-teachers-union-conference-41567567.html|title=Norma Foley heckled at teachers' union conference|publisher=Belfast Telegraph|first=Dominic|last=McGrath|date=19 April 2022|access-date=21 December 2022}} In September 2020, Foley announced that two coding errors were identified in the Leaving Certificate calculated grades system.{{cite news|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/calculated-grades-5218769-Sep2020/|title=Two errors identified in Leaving Cert Calculated Grades system, about 6,000 students affected|publisher=TheJournal.ie|first=Rónán|last=Duffy|date=30 September 2020|access-date=30 September 2020}} She apologised and announced that around 7,200 students were affected, receiving a higher grade than they should have while some students received a lower grade.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0930/1168450-leaving-cert/|title=Around 6,500 Leaving Cert students affected by Calculated Grades errors|publisher=RTÉ News and Current Affairs|date=30 September 2020|access-date=30 September 2020}} It was later confirmed that a third error was identified.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/education/2020/1003/1169207-leaving-cert-calculated-grades/|title=Review finds third error in calculated grades system|publisher=RTÉ News and Current Affairs|first=Emma|last=O'Kelly|date=3 October 2020|access-date=3 October 2020}}

In January 2021, Foley and the government were forced to abandon plans for Leaving Certificate students to attend school for three days a week, and instead students would return to homeschooling until February, after the ASTI directed its members not to return to in-school teaching.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/11176-minister-foley-confirms-that-schools-will-remain-closed-to-students/|title=Minister Foley confirms that schools will remain closed to students|publisher=Department of Education|website=gov.ie|date=7 January 2021|access-date=7 January 2021}} Also in January, Foley was forced to abandon plans to reopen special schools for thousands of children with special educational needs following safety concerns among staff unions.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/government-abandons-plans-to-reopen-special-schools-this-week-1.4462268|title=Government abandons plans to reopen special schools this week|publisher=The Irish Times|first1=Carl|last1=O'Brien|first2=Pat|last2=Leahy|date=19 January 2021|access-date=20 January 2021}} In February, Foley announced a new phase of planning for the Leaving Certificate exams,{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/16de3-minister-foley-announces-a-new-phase-of-planning-for-the-state-examinations-to-include-both-the-provision-of-leaving-certificate-examinations-and-also-exploring-a-corresponding-non-examination-process/|title=Minister Foley announces a new phase of planning for the State Examinations to include both the provision of Leaving Certificate examinations and also exploring a corresponding non-examination process.|publisher=Department of Education|website=gov.ie|date=5 February 2021|access-date=11 February 2021}} but the ASTI withdrew from discussions with the Department of Education after it said that the plan being developed would not provide a "meaningful Leaving Certificate" for students.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/asti-pulls-out-of-talks-over-planning-for-this-year-s-leaving-cert-1.4482443|title=ASTI pulls out of talks over planning for this year's Leaving Cert|publisher=The Irish Times|first=Carl|last=O'Brien|date=11 February 2021|access-date=11 February 2021}} In March, she lost her appeals against findings that two home-schooled students were unfairly excluded from the Leaving Certificate calculated grades process.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/minister-loses-appeals-over-home-schooled-leaving-cert-students-1.4505500|title=Minister loses appeals over home-schooled Leaving Cert students|publisher=The Irish Times|first=Mary|last=Carolan|date=9 March 2021|access-date=9 March 2021}}

On 17 December 2022, she was re-appointed to the same position following Leo Varadkar's appointment as Taoiseach.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2022/1217/1342500-cabinet-reshuffle-govt/|title=Reshuffle: Who is in the new Cabinet?|publisher=RTÉ News|first=Micheál|last=Lehane|date=17 December 2022|access-date=18 December 2022}}

=Minister for Children, Disability and Equality=

On 23 January 2025, Foley was appointed as Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in the government led by Micheál Martin, following the 2024 general election.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2025/0123/1492578-new-cabinet-in-full/|title=Cabinet list in full with number of promotions, changes|publisher=RTÉ News|first=Fiachra|last=Ó Cionnaith|date=23 January 2025|access-date=23 January 2025}}

Personal life

Prior to becoming a TD, she was a teacher at Presentation Secondary School, Tralee. She is married to fellow teacher Denis Maguire. Her father Denis Foley was a Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry North from 1981 to 1989 and 1992 to 2002.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/denis-loved-his-family-his-county-and-his-native-town/29808463.html|title=Denis loved his family, his county and his native town|work=Irish Independent|date=4 December 2013|access-date=19 August 2024}}