Results 1,321-1,340 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

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...

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

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for his question. In May 2024, the Department of Children sought Expressions of Interest to provide properties for purchase and offers are currently being assessed through a standardised process. My Department is now exploring options to purchase a number of potential properties in line with the Government approved strategy. These options remain in the early...

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

Norma Foley: I confirm that, apart from limited redactions, the brief prepared for me by this Department following the formation of Government will be published shortly on the Department's website.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Statutory Leave Entitlements (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, 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...

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

Norma Foley: My Department leads on cross-government policy to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Programme for Government commits my Department to publish and implement an updated National Strategy for Women and Girls. My Department is currently working to fulfil that commitment. A stakeholder consultation was completed at the end of 2024, the report of which is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (5 Feb 2025)

Norma Foley: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides free universal pre-school to children in the eligible age range. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year. The programme year runs from the end of August to the following June in line with the primary school year. ECCE is provided by private enterprises, either privately...

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) 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 Social Protection on behalf of...

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

Norma Foley: Tusla is working to reduce reliance on Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs). Tusla is also working to reduce the cost and promote the quality and safety of these placements. My Department is supporting Tusla in these efforts. In the interim, specific measures have and are being taken by Tusla to promote and support the quality and safety of these placements. Where children are placed in an...

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

Norma Foley: Tusla has indicated that it is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate placements for children in the care of the State. A number of actions are being undertaken to improve the availability of suitable alternative care placements for children in care. These include:The Department has overseen a significant increase in investment in foster care supports, including...

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

Norma Foley: Tusla has indicated that it is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate placements for children in the care of the State. With regard to the available placements, there were 5,760 children in care at the end of Q3 2024 (latest data). This data indicates: 87.4% (5,035) of children in care were in foster care (general, relative) at the end of Q3 20248.7% (501) were...

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

Norma Foley: During the lead in to the red weather warnings during January, the Department activated our extreme weather response plan to enhance safety measures for people seeking international protection. The Department’s extreme weather response plan focuses on international protection (IP) applicants who are in our tented accommodation sites, and applicants who are unaccommodated. Measures...

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

Norma Foley: My Department employs a range of approaches to identify and address shortages of early learning and childcare places, bearing in mind the wide range of types of early learning and childcare provision offered by services and required by families. Last year, a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division was established, and the Programme for...

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

Norma Foley: As of 29 January 2025, the following special advisers are employed by Minister Foley. Name Description Grade Aine Doyle Special Adviser to the Minister (Policy) Principal Officer Equivalent Michael Brennan Special Adviser to the Minister (Press) Principal Officer Equivalent

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...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department operates from a number of building locations including: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).Citywest Transit Hub, Garter Lane, Saggart, Co. Dublin, D24 KF8A.Cleaning and security services in the Miesian Plaza...

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

Norma Foley: There are 3 Services Officers currently employed by my Department on a permanent basis. No cleaners are directly employed by my Department. The Civil Service agencies under the aegis of the Department will respond directly to the Deputy in respect of their own organisations.