Results 81-100 of 19,414 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: My priority for childminding is the continued delivery of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028. The publication of the National Action Plan in April 2021 followed an extensive process of public consultation and research. The National Action Plan distinguishes childminding which involves care in the childminder’s home from care that takes place in the child’s...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: There are currently 3 Reception and Orientation Centres (ROCs) contracted to accommodate programme refugees under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). These centres are located in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, Clonea Strand, Co. Waterford and Mosney Village, Co. Meath. Details on the capacity of these centres, as well as the occupancy as at the end of March 2025 are set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As mentioned by the Deputy, the Programme for Government commits to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child and exploring options to cap childcare costs including costs for larger families. A number of existing Schemes would need to play a role to achieve these aims. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which provides two years of pre-school...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The new Programme for Government, which was published on 15 January 2025, commits to ensure that providers’ fees are open, transparent and equitable and readily available to parents, and to maintaining the fee cap. Fee management under Core Funding has been an incremental and deliberate process to date. Since the launch of the scheme in September 2022, Partner Services have agreed to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 790 and 833 together. The Programme for Government sets out the ambition to work with schools to host before and after-school childcare in school buildings as well as planning the development of State-led early learning and childcare facilities in tandem with the school building programme, specifically referencing Irish medium naíonraí.Last year,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: In my Parliamentary Question reply of 25th February 2025, I outlined to the Deputy the position regarding the expansion of the FRC Programme. At this point the application form and criteria for the establishment of additional Family Resource Centres are at a very advanced stage, and it is hoped to complete the details of the application process shortly, with a view to then seeking...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reviews (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I recognise the enormous impact that pregnancy loss has on expectant parents, and I wish to extend my sympathies to all parents who have suffered such a loss. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth commissioned a qualitative research study to examine the workplace experiences of parents coping with pregnancy loss. The study, ‘PLACES | Pregnancy Loss...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. An annual sector profile demonstrates an 8% increase in enrolments between 2021/22 and 2022/23. Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 and Year 2 of the scheme, annual place hours increased by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 801 and 821 together. The Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future - commits to introducing paid surrogacy leave and my officials are examining this commitment. They are also engaging with officials from the Department of Social Protection as the Minister for Social Protection has responsibility for the payment of any associated benefits....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The regulation of early years services is dealt with in Part VIIA of the Child Care Act 1991. The Act defines a 'school-age service' as one which:caters for children under the age of 15 years enrolled in a school providing primary or post-primary education,provides a range of activities that are developmental, educational and recreational in manner, which take place outside of school hours,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: This information is not immediately available. My Department is preparing a response and will contact the Deputy as soon as possible with the requested information.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: A key commitment in the Programme for Government is to publish and implement an updated National Strategy for Women and Girls. My officials are currently working intensively to develop the new Strategy with a view to publishing the Strategy mid-year. A stakeholder consultation to inform the themes of the Strategy was completed at the end of 2024. This consultation sought input from both...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Young Ireland: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028 sets out actions to make sure that children’s rights are being met and considered when policy is written and implemented, in line with the UN Convention of the Rights on the Child (UNCRC). To assist public bodies in building an enabling environment, and to ensure that children and young people are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024 – 2028 aims to provide a more strategic, data-driven, and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work and related services in Ireland. Since its publication in September 2024, work has been underway on implementing a number of actions for which the Department is the lead, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reviews (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: UBU Your Place Your Space (UBU) scheme is DCEDIY's largest youth funding scheme, targeting disadvantaged young people aged between 10-24. The scheme currently provides funding to over 250 targeted youth services across 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), with the ETBs co-ordinating delivery of funding to the services in their local area. My officials have begun work on a review of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The measurement of outcomes in youth work is an important development to enable greater understanding of the impact of participation and engagement in youth work projects and services for young people. The project to develop an outcome and impact measurement tool is a collaboration between DCEDIY and Maynooth University whereby Maynooth University will provide consultation and research...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Programmes (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As part of preparations for the Presidency, officials in my Department have been engaging extensively with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) across several fora. Officials from my Department attend regular meetings of the Inter-Departmental Group on Presidency Policy Planning and the Inter-Departmental Group on Operational Presidency Planning. Both groups are chaired by DFAT...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Budgets (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The table below provides details of the capital budget that was allocated to my Department in the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. - 2023 €m 2024 €m 2025 €m DCEDIY Capital Allocation 212.65 142.82 146.8 * 2023 and 2024 figures in the table reflect final allocations after FREV and / or Supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Support Services (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Thank you for your question, Deputy. A response will be provided directly to you in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Support Services (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 815, 818 and 819 together. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) currently provides accommodation to approximately 33,000 people at over 320 sites nationwide. The State is making every effort to accommodate asylum seekers against a backdrop of unprecedented demand from 2022 to 2024, with our system growing by over 400% in capacity in...