Results 641-660 of 19,404 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Work Projects (6 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Action 17 of the Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023 – 2028 commits to the development and implementation of a 'Youth Services Action Plan' to provide a strategic direction for the delivery of youth services. In response to this commitment, the outgoing Government approved the new national strategy entitled Opportunities for Youth: National...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Artificial Intelligence (6 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 (6 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Increasing access to affordable childcare is a key priority of government. Last year, a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division was established, and the Programme for Government articulates an intention that the unit be resourced and transformed into a Forward Planning and Delivery Unit to identify areas of need, forecast demand and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (6 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department for Children; Equality; Disability; Integration and Youth consultancy contracts in 2023 and 2024 are listed in the table below. Bodies under the aegis of the department will respond directly to the deputy. Name of Consultants Purpose of Contract Value Duration Grainne Healy Facilitation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: This Department has received no requests as outlined in the details supplied by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (5 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: 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 focuses on people who experience pregnancy loss prior to 24 weeks’ gestation, as people who have a pregnancy loss after 24 weeks’ gestation can avail of full maternity leave and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (5 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: After-School Support Services (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 894 and 895 together. The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents reduce the cost of early learning and childcare, including school-age childcare. Subsidies are available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age. The minimum rate available is €2.14 per hour, which is available for up to 45 weekly hours....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 900 and 901 together. Data on the number of children enrolled in ELC and SAC services is compiled each year by Pobal as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. The most recently available capacity data for the 2022/23 programme year estimated that there were 5,278 children enrolled in Louth ELC and SAC services, 39% of services had at least one vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 902 and 903 together. Tusla, the independent statutory regulator for early years services, including pre-school, childminding and school age services, is responsible for maintaining the register of services under the Child Care Act 1991. Where an early years service ceases operation, the registered provider is required by law to advise Tusla of this and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on the 4th November 2024 and opened for applications last month. The closing date for applications was Thursday 30th January, following an extension to accommodate some services affected by power outages. The scheme has four strands: 1. Extensions to existing premises for private services 2. Extensions to existing premises for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) 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 (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for this question. 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 (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m will be allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2021 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes will have increased by over 34%. The additional funding allocated in Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the pain caused by the deaths of children who were resident in the former Mother and Baby institution in Sean Ross Abbey. The investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including the former institution at Sean Ross Abbey, was an important part of the work of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the pain caused by the deaths of people who were resident in the former Mother and Baby institution in Bessborough and the uncertainty regarding the burial place of many children who were resident there. The investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including Bessborough, was an important part of the work of the Commission of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware this company is currently not being used by Tusla. Neither Tusla nor my Department can comment on the commissioning of this company by any other Government body. With regard to the commissioning process for Tusla, such as with this organisation in question, organisations/companies must satisfy all requirements as a relevant service under Children First, including...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Feb 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. As well as addressing affordability this investment has served to improve accessibility, availability and the quality of provision. The ECCE programme, which provides two years of pre-school without...