Results 661-680 of 19,404 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Thank you for your question, Deputy. Ireland is currently responding to an ongoing very significant increase in applications for international protection since 2022. The response has meant a 400% and ongoing increase in the capacity of the IPAS accommodation system, at the same time as the State responded to meeting accommodation and wider needs of over 100,000 people fleeing war in...

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: I thank the Deputy for the question. Extensive efforts are underway, within this Department and as part of a whole-of-Government response, to source and bring into use suitable facilities to provide shelter and safety to international protection applicants. Providing reception conditions – accommodation and other basic supports – to applicants is part of Irish and EU law and...

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

Norma Foley: On 30 September 2024, relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 were commenced to provide for removal of the exemption from registration for childminders, and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Regulations) 2024 came into effect on the same day. These changes allowed for the registration of childminders with Tusla. This was a milestone in the...

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

Norma Foley: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) does not restrict access to early learning and care or school-age childcare for children transitioning to primary school. The NCS is available to all children in services appropriately registered per the requirements of the Child Care Act 1991 and its associated regulations. Where an early learning and care or school-age childcare service is being...

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

Norma Foley: My department provides for the development of new play and recreation facilities for children and young people through the annual Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation. Established in 2013, this grant scheme operates through and with Local Authorities. The scheme also funds the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and the incorporation of natural play elements. ...

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

Norma Foley: Exchequer funding for youth services is currently allocated on an annual basis following the annual budgetary process. My Department is obliged to adhere to the public sector spending code, and therefore it is not currently possible to enter into multi-annual funding agreements with youth organisations funded by my Department. However, to support funded organisations to have greater...

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

Norma Foley: Youth workers are central to the delivery of youth services. The relationships which young people develop with their youth workers can be transformative in a young person's life. As outlined in Action 7 of Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2023-2028, my Department has committed to producing a Workforce Development Strategy in respect of the...

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

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for the question. The scheme rules and guidance documentation for the Youth Services Grant Scheme pilot which opened in 2024 do not exclude pension costs as possible staff costs. It is a matter for applicant organisations to identify the staff costs necessary to their application. As the Deputy may be aware, the applicant organisations are the employers and determine the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Work Supports (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%. Capital funding of €1.0m has been...

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

Norma Foley: Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m has been 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 secured in Budget...

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

Norma Foley: My Department was established in 2011 and I can provide the Deputy with information relating to the capital allocations for the period 2011 to 2025. Year Total Youth Capital Funding Allocation Youth Capital Funding Scheme for Youth Organisations/Youth Services/Youth Clubs Youth Café Funding Scheme Capital Grant Scheme for Play and...

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

Norma Foley: The annual breakdown of the current funding allocation per budget provided by the Department for youth organisations and services under the sectoral programme for children and young people within subhead B06 -Youth Organisations and Services is set out in the table below. My Department was established in 2011 and consequently the funding allocations are provided for the period 2011 to 2025 ...

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

Norma Foley: The annual breakdown of the current funding allocation per budget line provided by the Department for youth organisations and services under the sectoral programme for children and young people within subhead B06-Youth Organisations and Services is set out in the tables below for the period 2014 to 2025. B06 Funding (Current) for Youth Organisations and Services. 2025 ...

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

Norma Foley: 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 Protection (BOTPs) to make longer term independent arrangements...

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...

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

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) is a key priority of Government. My Department employs a range of approaches to understand supply of and demand for ELC and SAC places, bearing in mind the wide range of types of e provision offered by services and required by families. Last year, a Supply Management Unit was...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 963 and 964 together. Since 2021, there has been a sudden and sustained increase in numbers of people applying for International Protection in Ireland, and in other EU Member States. This increase happened at the same time as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which saw over 113,000 people from Ukraine come to live in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Human Reproduction (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Minister for Health leads on the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024, which includes provisions in relation to surrogacy. Policy on parentage is a matter for the Minister for Justice. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has worked closely with the Department of Health and the Department of Justice on the development and enactment of the 2024...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (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...