Results 1,341-1,360 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Pay is one of a number of issues impacting the early learning and care and school-age childcare workforce. 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...

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

Norma Foley: My Department, Pobal, Cork City Childcare Committee, Northside Community Enterprise and other stakeholders continue to work closely to deliver early learning and childcare service in the Churchfield site, formally occupied by Before 5. My Department approved funding for the revival of this service in October 2024 and I am informed that work has commenced on the early stages of this...

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

Norma Foley: Thank you Deputy for your question. My Department is working with communities all over Ireland to source and provide accommodation for people applying for international protection and emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country. This is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home...

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

Norma Foley: The Commission of Investigation (Certain matters relative to a disability service in the South East and related matters) (“the Farrelly Commission”) is an independent statutory Commission of Investigation, empowered to investigate matters of significant public concern. The Commission was established on 21 March 2017. Under the Commission’s Terms of Reference, the...

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

Norma Foley: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Supporting all households experiencing homelessness, including families with children, remains a priority. The Department of Housing is working closely with local authorities and their service delivery partners to support households to exit homelessness to a tenancy, tenancies in local...

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

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. An annual sector profile demonstrates a 10% increase in enrolments between 2022/23 and 2023/24, building on an 8% increase the previous year. The Tusla register of services demonstrates a net increase in the...

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

Norma Foley: The Government recognises that Children reported Missing from Care are recognised as being some of the most vulnerable in society. Children missing from care fall under two categories, children who go missing from mainstream services for children in the care of Tusla, and those children who are Separated Children seeking International Protection (SCSIP) Services, though children in...

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

Norma Foley: Thank you for your question, Deputy. Ireland currently provides accommodation to 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...

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

Norma Foley: I can advise that this Department does not have any vacant or derelict building.

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

Norma Foley: Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024 – 2028 aims to provide a more strategic, data-driven, and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work and related services in Ireland. Since its publication in September 2024, work has been underway on implementing a number of actions for which the Department is the lead, including the...

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

Norma Foley: As this relates to information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been forwarded to the Agency for direct reply to the Deputy.

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

Norma Foley: Thank you for your question, Deputy. Providing reception conditions – accommodation and other basic supports – to people seeking international protection is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home country. The State is currently accommodating over 33,000 people in over 320...

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

Norma Foley: The third and final substantive report of the Commission of Investigation was published on 15 April 2025 along with the Commissions statement concerning Part X of its Terms of Reference. The Commission’s statement on Part X conclusions indicates that there is an absence of information in the possession of the Commission identifying issues for further investigation with respect to...

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

Norma Foley: In March 2022, Government accepted the findings of the Independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare Operating Model in Ireland that a dedicated National Early Learning and Childcare Agency is the optimal operating model for the sector for the years ahead. It is envisaged that the agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including Better...

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

Norma Foley: The 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The Guidelines are intended to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country to the treatment of applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early learning and childcare provision, for relevant planning...

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

Norma Foley: Thank you Deputy for your question. My Department is working with communities all over Ireland to source and provide accommodation for people applying for international protection and emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country. This is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their...

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

Norma Foley: As mentioned by the Deputy, the Programme for Government commits to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child. Significant progress towards this goal has been made to date. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96% each year. Over 70% of families on low income...

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

Norma Foley: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme opened for applications in March 2024. The underpinning legislation for the Scheme provides for a number of reports and reviews to be produced. Section 12 provides for annual reports to be prepared by 30 June by the Chief Deciding Officer of the Scheme. These reports are to include details on applications, determinations, staffing and...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 137 together. The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes made significant findings in relation to the failings of the State and religious organisations, who together ran Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The Government believes that all relevant parties have a collective responsibility to respond to Ireland's legacy in...

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

Norma Foley: Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. The most recent published capacity data for the 2023/24 programme year estimated that there were 11,634 children enrolled in early learning and childcare services in County Kildare. This data also indicated that 42% of service providers in County Kildare had at...