Results 641-660 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 was approved by Government in November of last year. The General Scheme was included for Priority Drafting in the Spring Legislative Programme. It was renamed here as the Equality and Family Leaves (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to account for potential proposed additions related to surrogacy leave and leave for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1856 and 1857 together. My Department is seeking clarification from the Deputy in relation to the exact data sought and will collate the information requested to issue directly to the Deputy once clarification is received.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865 together. The Information and Tracing services established under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 opened for applications on 3 October 2022. As of 14 April 2025, the Child and Family Agency, Tusla has received 9,821 applications for information and the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) has received...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed is to increase the number of full day places for 1–3-year-olds, pre-ECCE age range by existing Core Funding Partner Services. €25 million has been made available and it is anticipated to deliver a significant increase in places for this age cohort. The capital funding allocation for the Building Blocks Extension...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Tusla has a duty, under Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 to make a decision whether each person leaving care has a need for assistance, and to provide services in accordance with the legislation and subject to available resources. Young people who have had a care history with Tusla are entitled to an aftercare service based on their eligibility and assessed needs. Tusla has advised...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Ireland currently provides accommodation over 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 significant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I am advised by Tusla that the proposed Tusla Integrated Reform Programme is an initiative being considered and prepared to improve the way that Tusla deliver services to children and families. It also aims to improve the staff experience. The programme aims to implement key improvements based on detailed and considered evidence and consultations. The Programme intends to:Design and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 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. It also important to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Investment in early learning and childcare is now at unprecedented levels with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025, clearly demonstrating Government commitment to this area. This Department operates a range of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) funding schemes. These funding schemes, which include the ECCE Programme, National Childcare Scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to creating an equal, inclusive and diverse work environment that supports all employees and promotes and supports the increased recruitment and retention of persons with disabilities. Under Part 5 of the Disability Act my Department is obliged to submit annual Part 5 returns on the number of employees that have shared a disability. The returns for my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Parents/guardians and their children can only avail of the benefits and protections that Core Funding creates, such as the effective fee freeze at 2021 levels, if their service has chosen to participate in the scheme as a Partner Service. While my Department cannot mandate providers to participate in schemes, every effort has been made to carefully design Core Funding to meet the policy...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 that period. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) releases weekly statistics in relation to international protection (IP) applicants accommodated by IPAS. This includes a per county breakdown...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1885, 1886 and 1887 together. Ireland has seen a sharp increase in numbers of people applying for international protection over recent years. We provide accommodation for over 33,000 people today. Since 2021, when we provided 7,000 places, this demand-led system has had to grow by over 400%. In meeting our obligation to provide material reception...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Irish Language (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer provides all standard ICT services to my Department and has confirmed that all of the IT systems provided are capable of utilising the síneadh fada. My Department also has a number of in-house IT systems, which can also utilise the síneadh fada.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: EU Directives (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The following table outlines the EU Directives currently under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. However, as the Government has approved the transfer of international protection functions to Jim O'Callaghan T.D., Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration from 1st May 2025, responsibility for transposing Directive 2024/1346 laying...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Properties (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department currently has two office areas:2nd and 3rd floors, Block 1, Miesian Plaza, 50 - 58 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2; and2nd and 3rd floors, Montague Court, 7 - 11 Montague Street, Dublin 2. My Department has occupied its headquarters in Miesian Plaza since May 2018. This building is leased by the OPW - the rent is paid directly by the OPW and not...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that the below information relates to cleaning services provided in the following Departmental buildings:Block 1 Miesian Plaza, 50 – 58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. D02 XW14. (Floors 2 and 3).Montague Court, 7 – 11 Montague Street, Dublin. D02 FT96. (Floors 2 and 3). Cleaning services in the Miesian Plaza office are supplied by One Complete Solution...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that the below information relates to security services provided in the following Departmental buildings:Block 1 Miesian Plaza, 50 – 58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. D02 XW14. (Floors 2 and 3).Montague Court, 7 – 11 Montague Street, Dublin. D02 FT96. (Floors 2 and 3). Security services in the Miesian Plaza office are supplied by One Complete Solution...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 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 to the sector. Core funding increased by 11% to reach €287 million for the second year of the scheme (September 2023 to August 2024) and...