Results 1,021-1,040 of 19,958 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) is a free, universal two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range prior to commencing primary school and is funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY). There are 8,309 children registered for the ECCE programme in Cork County for the 2024/25...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that an additional €800,000 was secured in Budget 2025 for the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. This additional allocation will allow for expansion of the FRC Programme membership in 2025, by providing core funding to new Programme members. Core funding supports the pivotal role FRCs play in so many communities across the country, where they provide a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 797, 800 and 801 together. 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: Ukraine War (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 798 and 802 together. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it, in line with Government policy. This supports Beneficiaries of Temporary...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (25 Feb 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: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Many families avail of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) as a way to reduce the cost of their early learning and childcare. NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. It is between the parent and provider to agree on the hours of childcare based on the family's requirements and what sessions the provider can...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Accommodation Recognition Payment scheme is currently in place until 31 March 2025. The scheme was introduced to recognise the generosity of private individuals who provide accommodation on a humanitarian basis to beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine. As the Temporary Protection Directive has been extended to 4 March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department is progressing a range of actions to reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to families. The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the primary measure aimed at reducing costs. Through the provision of both universal and targeted subsidies, the Scheme is progressive in nature ensuring the highest levels of subsidies go to families that need them most. As of September...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department provides financial support to volunteer led youth groups/clubs through the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS) which is administered at a local level by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). While we do have comprehensive lists of clubs within the Cork ETB area, we do not collect specific address data for these clubs. For that reason, we are unable to provide a list of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 prohibit discrimination, across nine protected grounds, in employment and in the provision of goods and services, accommodation and education. Disability is one of the protected grounds under the Acts. The Acts also place certain obligations on service providers and employers to make reasonable accommodation for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Deportation Orders (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: There are almost 33,000 people currently in IPAS accommodation, in over 320 centres all over Ireland. People who are accommodated by IPAS are either going through the application process for International Protection, or have concluded it. About 5,300 residents are people who have been granted status to remain. Generally less than 300 people in IPAS accommodation – less than 1% -...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that Tusla is currently working on the application process and criteria for the establishment of additional Family Resource Centres (FRCs), with a view to seeking applications in the coming weeks from organisations wishing to be considered for addition to the FRC programme. It is not yet known for how long this application process will be open

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (25 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department is progressing a range of actions to reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to families. The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the primary measure aimed at reducing costs. Through the provision of both universal and targeted subsidies, thee Scheme is progressive in nature ensuring the highest levels of subsidies go to families that need them most. As of September...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (20 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. The ARP is paid at the rate of €800 per month per property with a unique Eircode (vacant or shared). The scheme is provided for under Part 2...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (20 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who arrived in Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine. The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Thank you for your question, Deputy. The Request for Tender (RFT) process referred to by the Deputy, was first undertaken in January 2022, and was to be a key step in the Government’s strategy at that time, to end the reliance on emergency accommodation for international protection applicants. This process did not provide sufficient capacity to meet demand for accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Feb 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 Data (20 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is guided by the Interim Guidelines for Use of AI in the Public Service published by the Public Service Transformation Delivery Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and by the National Cyber Security Centre on ICT policy and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Core Funding represents a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme (September 2022-August 2023) rising to €287 million in year 2 (September 2023-August 2024) and €331 million in year 3 (September 2024-August 2025). Data on Core Funding uptake and the Fee Increase Assessment process...