Results 2,481-2,500 of 19,414 for speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the committee of a minor technical amendment that is currently being finalised that I intend to introduce on Report Stage. This is an amendment to section 4(1)(d), which currently provides for the provision of a home help service following an assessment of need made by a registered medical practitioner or a registered nurse. The HSE has informed the Department that in the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: With regard to the HAA, there is an acknowledgement that it was awarded for a very specific case of life-threatening illness. I have already outlined that the enhanced medical card that is being awarded is for life. It is not means-tested and it is not subject to review. Deputy Pringle referred to the support staff having trauma-informed training. There is a very clear outline and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: All housing applications are adjudicated on the basis of need. In the interests of that underlying and guiding principle, houses are allocated on the basis of need, but accommodation is always given to those with a specific need, whether a vulnerability, disability, health ailment or whatever. That continues here. If one person's need is greater than another's, housing will be allocated on...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I have not come across a situation where medical need or vulnerability was not taken into consideration for a particular type of housing. Where there is a medical need or vulnerability, that is included in the consideration.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes. To support and make survivors aware of their entitlements, Sage Advocacy is working to ensure they get the maximum opportunity to present their case, whether a health case, housing case or whatever it is.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: It is done on the basis of need. The adjudication is whether there is a medical need which supersedes the need of a person who does not have a medical need. That is the basis of it.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Notwithstanding that, the bottom line in terms of allocation of housing is need, whatever that need might be. The weight given will be on the basis of the individual and his or her needs, as opposed to a general weighting. No two individuals who present will have a similar need.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: That is improving day by day. I sat a long number of years on a local authority which was not building any houses. Now we are seeing houses being built by local authorities and things are improving in that respect. The bottom line for local authorities is to provide housing on the basis of need. We cannot take away from that. Every need is adjudicated on an individual basis. We are...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Sage Advocacy has engaged with a number of other bodies, including the Christine Buckley Centre, Right of Place Second Chance, Towards Healing, One in Four, Barnardos, Focus Ireland and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, as well as Crosscare and other bodies and agencies across the UK. There is a relationship between them and other agencies in terms of support. In response to Deputy...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies. The figure of €3,000 for survivors who are resident outside the State is being made because they will not avail of the health supports and services provided by the HSE. That is the payment that was also proposed and made in respect of mother and baby institutions. It ensures that there is equity or equality between both groups and that they are being treated...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The official work between the two departments has been going on for a long number of months, by way of the officials of the Department. In the past number of days, I have also formally written to support their work.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Sorry, I should also acknowledge the Irish Embassy in relation to that work.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: It is my understanding that €3,000 is the entitlement of a person who draws it down and is in receipt of it when he or she is in the UK. I will not put the Deputy astray, however. I will have to check that to see whether, on a person's return, he or she could start again. I will not lead the Deputy astray on that. I will have to check and revert to her.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: As I said, this figure was agreed for the mother and baby home institutional payment scheme. In order that there is equity between the two schemes, that is the figure.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I also appreciate what Deputy Pringle said. On the question of whether the payment will impact on the entitlement of their children - it will not. On the earlier question both Deputies raised around the payment of educational supports, to be clear, it is a payment ranging from €500 to €1,200 for further education. Once somebody has registered for a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I imagine it closed once the funding was expedited.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The purpose of section 21 is to amend the mother and baby institutions payment scheme 2023 to take account of the supports to be provided under this Bill. The 2023 Act currently provides that a person who has benefitted from the Magdalen laundries scheme will not be eligible for a health support payment and the proposed amendment will ensure this will also apply to former residents who...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the work of this committee, particularly during pre-legislative scrutiny. I thank the committee and the Chair for their work today.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the members of the committee for scheduling this meeting to facilitate Committee Stage of the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024 and for their engagement throughout the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. As I noted on Second Stage, I am deeply conscious of the enormous trauma that has been endured by all survivors of abuse and I know that nothing...