Results 41-60 of 19,359 for speaker:Norma Foley

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...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 816 and 837 together. The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. Core funding is now worth €331 million in its third year of operation. In view of...

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

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to my attention. My officials will meet with Tusla in the near future in a previously arranged meeting to discuss Data Protection matters in general. I can assure the Deputy that this matter will also be discussed at that time. As the Deputy is aware the Performance Framework for 2024-2026 clarifies for Tusla that it is expected to...

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

Norma Foley: Ministerial staff and salaries are listed in the table below. Minister Role Grade (Salary Scale) Number Minister Norma Foley Special Adviser PO 2 Minister Hildegarde Naughton Special Adviser PO 2 Minister Norma Foley Private Secretary AO with...

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

Norma Foley: Ireland currently provides accommodation to approximately 33,000 people applying for international protection and has also welcomed over 114,000 people from Ukraine since 2022. Our accommodation systems have been forced to expand at a rapid pace over the last two years in response to a sharp increase in need among both groups. The over 114,000 people who arrived from Ukraine, and a...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 826 and 839 together. Government believes that all relevant parties have a collective responsibility to respond to Ireland's legacy in relation to Mother and Baby institutions. Discussions with regard to seeking a contribution from the religious congregations towards the cost of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme were led by the independent...

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

Norma Foley: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. 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: Children in Care (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. 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: Children in Care (8 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Under the Children Act 2001 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, detention of children is to be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest time possible. Oberstown Children Detention Campus is the State’s sole detention facility for children. The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality sets the maximum occupancy at Oberstown by way of a certificate made...

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

Norma Foley: The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. Core funding is now worth €331 million in its third year of operation. In view of the 15% increase in Core Funding in year 3 and the...

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

Norma Foley: Core Funding, which was introduced in 2022, operates alongside all other early learning and childcare programmes and constitutes additional income to services on top of these programmes, and parental fees. The scheme is designed to meet the combined objectives of:Improved affordability for parents through the introduction of fee management andcontractual requirements on providers to offer...

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

Norma Foley: Pay is one of a number of issues impacting staffing levels and the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners does not reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. As the State is not the employer of staff in the sector, neither I nor my Department can set wage levels or determine working conditions. In December 2020,...

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

Norma Foley: On 29 March 2022 Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare Operating Model in Ireland that a dedicated state agency is the optimal operating model for the Early Learning Care and School Age Childcare sector for the years ahead. It is envisaged that the agency will undertake the functions currently undertaken by Pobal Early Years (including...

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

Norma Foley: I can advise that this Department does not have any vacant or derelict buildings in Dublin-Rathdown.

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

Norma Foley: The Department of Social Protection holds lead responsibility for the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and related matters. It is my understanding that the Department of Social Protection will engage, as appropriate, with relevant Departments to progress work in relation to this legislation.

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

Norma Foley: The Department has made available significant funding to this service under Core Funding. Specifically, this service received €534,966.22 in year 1 of Core Funding and €624,436.28 for year 2. The contract value for year 3 of Core Funding - up to the end of August 2025 - is €562,836.56. In addition to this funding in year 3 of Core Funding, this service had the...